Carson City, Nev.– The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Carson City District, Sierra Front Field Office is proposing a land health project in the Pine Nut Mountains, Douglas, Lyon and Carson City Counties, Nevada. The Pine Nut Land Health Project (Project) would be implemented over a 10-year period to restore ecological balance, diversity and resilience to plant communities and reduce hazardous fuels to protect people, property, infrastructure and resources from severe wildfire. The BLM would appreciate your comments by May 2, 2013
The purpose and need of the proposed project is to improve the health and resiliency of vegetation in the Pine Nut Mountains by:
• restoring and maintaining sagebrush habitat (including approximately 19,195 acres of Bi-State sage-grouse preliminary priority habitat), riparian plant communities, wet meadows and springs;
• protecting and enhancing historic pinyon-juniper woodland habitat;
• reducing the potential of large-scale high severity wildland fire;
• providing for public and firefighter safety, protection of property and infrastructure; and
• providing woodland products to the public, tribes and commercial entities.
The Proposed Action is to implement vegetation treatments on up to 26,252 acres in strategically located treatment units. Specific treatments would be proposed based on vegetation condition and objectives. Proposed vegetation treatments may be implemented individually or in combination depending on site conditions within the treatment units. Treatments currently proposed are hand thinning of trees and brush (selective cutting), hand cutting of trees (non-selective cutting), mechanical mastication of trees and brush, mechanical thinning/removal of trees, prescribed fire (pile burning) and seeding.
In order to fulfill the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act and National Historic Preservation Act, an environmental assessment is required to evaluate the potential direct, indirect, and cumulative effects to the human environment from the Proposed Action.
At this early stage in the Project development we are asking for the following input:
1. Do you have unique knowledge about the project area and/or resources in the project area?
2. Do you know of resource conflicts in the project area?
3. Do you have any other substantive input into this proposal at this early stage?
Project information including maps and a comment form are available on the Project website at: http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/
A public workshop will be held at the BLM’s Carson City District Office on Thursday, April 11, 2013, from 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm. The format will be an open house. The workshop will be held at 5665 Morgan Mill Road, Carson City, Nevada.
Should you have any questions, or to submit your comments, contact: Brian Buttazoni, Planning and Environmental Coordinator, 5665 Morgan Mill Rd, Carson City, Nevada 89701 or email at [email protected]. For more information call 775-885-6004. Comments can also be faxed to 775-885-6147, Attn: Brian Buttazoni.
