Seeding planned on fire scarred BLM land

The Bureau of Land Management is gearing up to conduct aerial seeding on burn scars left after the 2017 and 2018 fire seasons.

The planned, two-week project by the Upper Snake Field Office will broadcast seed over approximately 52,000 acres of BLM-administered land. The seeding will use 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.

The seeding is intended to help restore ground cover, support water infiltration, prevent cheatgrass dominance, and stabilize soils, according to BLM.

The seed mix is comprised of sagebrush and bunch grasses.