These old growth Pinyon Junipers are under threat by the Elko (Nevada) BLM's fire and chaining "treatments" at Spruce Mountain.
These trees are ancient (many are 200-400 years old!). They require extended time to develop given the arid conditions. BLM claims that they
are a fire hazard though cattle's reluctance to eat them has been what motivates rancher's disdain. Once the Pinyons are gone, more palatable
cattle feed will surely replace them.
This is an example of much of the landscape at Spruce Mountain as it exists today. The forest has maintained health and vigor
despite years - even decades/centuries - of fire, drought, and other harsh natural occurances. Time, natural
trial, and indigenous conditions have provided for a habitat of bountiful wildlife and breath-taking scenery without
the costly interference of aggressive human management.
BLM Knows Better?
That's the claim. This is a photograph illustrating the aftermath of a chaining. This is what BLM hopes to inflict
upon Spruce Mountain. Apparently those 'pesky' Pinyons don't produce enough feed for the public-land profiteers
at the local cattleman's association. The claim coming from Elko was less straight-forward - they claimed to want to
clear the trees to prevent catastrophic fire. Take another look at the 'before' photo. Many of the trees at Spruce
Mountain are 200 - 400 years old. The forest survived the fire regimes of the previous 200 - 400 years, in fact, fire is
one of the natural forces that contributes to this landscape's constitution. The same cannot be said for two tractors dragging
a giant chain uprooting everything in their path.
Another telling inconsistency from BLM: In the past, chaining has been
used to clear natural habitat to provide for plantings of cattle forage - not fuel reduction...
Critters take residence
You're Tax-dollars at Work !
After egregiously disruptive chaining takes place, BLM can look forward
to using your tax dollars to clean up the weeds that inevitably follow:
Infested with cheatgrass and other weeds, this area will take a lot of
money, chemical herbicide,
and time to "rehabilitate" into a plant community
more palatable to cows.
Some rancher sure is going to be happy!
Why pay for feed when you can
have the taxpayer do it for you?!
A sad example of the same negligence with regard to their own animals as is
perpetrated upon our public lands.
More Photos and Impacts Including Pygmy Rabbit Habbitat & Microbiotic Soils
Elko Spruce Valley ACEC (Work in Progress, we urge interested members to
help us develop it further)
Organizations interested in signing on please
contact me.
All Photos Courtesy Katie Fite
October 20, 2006 :WWP wins a Preliminary Injunction halting BLM's eradication of
thousands of acres of this old growth forest!
Read the News Release
Read The Court Decision (PDF):
Spruce Mountain TRO October 20, 2006
Help Western Watersheds Project continue to halt irresponsible and
devestating public lands management practices.
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