Kelly Canyon Rehab Project starts with combating noxious weeds
The Kelly Canyon Rehab Project is underway and those involved are trying to get their advantage over noxious weeds in the area.
“What we’re doing today is we have a lot of weeds and very little resources that come into play to fight these weeds. So this is a conglomeration of two different associations coming together with all the employees we have,” said Bonneville County Weed Superintendent Jeffery Pettingill.
People from six counties and more than six different agencies banded together to stop weeds from spreading and taking over our native plants in our private, public, local, and state lands.
“There are no boundaries with [noxious weeds], they’re gonna cross regardless. There’s not a big giant invisible fence that says, ‘OK, you can come here and you can’t come here.’ They’re gonna cross boundaries and it’s important that as a group, and as a corporative effort, we all are working together to stop everything that we possibly can,” said BLM range weed technician Matt Clarkson.
Noxious weeds thrive in disturbed soil and due to the large amount of logging that happens in the area above Kelly Canyon, it is a primetime spot for weeds to quickly grow. Nevertheless, around 50 people came out to try to combat them from threatening the native species on Tuesday.
“So what we’re trying to do is get into an early stage of prevention. Instead of waiting till its a couple of thousand acres of weeds that need to be controlled, we’re trying to control these at the level two to 300-acres,” Pettingill said.
The team said they will be able to meet that 300-acre goal and then some.
Most of the work is being done by ATV’s and UTV’s that help the crew get into rough terrain. In addition, since back-country areas can be huge recreational spots, these agencies work hard to make sure noxious weeds aren’t being picked up and carried over to other lands.
