BLM to conduct aerial seeding on 2017, 2018
burn scars
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho – For
two weeks beginning in mid-January, the Bureau of Land Management Upper Snake
Field Office will conduct aerial seeding operations across wildland fire burn
scars from the 2017 and 2018 fire seasons. The BLM will broadcast seed
approximately 52,000 acres of BLM-administered lands, utilizing both fixed and
rotor-wing aircraft.
“When the smoke clears
there is still work to do,” said Jeremy
Casterson, BLM Upper Snake Field Office Manager. “Rehabilitating the land after
a wildfire helps restore habitat and ward off invasive plants.”
The aerial operations will rehabilitate the 2018 Grassy Ridge fire near
Dubois, the 2017 and 2018 fires near Menan Butte, and the 2017 Wildhorse and
Lava Flow fires near Atomic City.
Broadcast seeding will help restore
ground cover, support water infiltration, prevent cheatgrass dominance and
stabilize soils. The seed mix will be comprised of sagebrush and bunch grasses.
