Members of the Modoc-Washoe Experimental Stewardship Program steering committee will discuss a variety of issues affecting management of public rangelands when they convene Wednesday, February 12th, from 9:00a.m. to 4:00p.m., in Cedarville.
The meeting at the Bureau of Land Management Surprise Field Station, 602 Cressler Street, is open to the public, with a public comment period set for 1:00p.m. Those unable to attend can participate by teleconference. The toll-free phone number is 888-395-5718, and the passcode is 17107.
During the morning session, the committee will hear reports from member organizations and government agencies and discuss management of wild horses and burros on BLM-managed lands within the ESP area of interest.
Afternoon agenda topics include a report on BLM fuel break planning, a status report on a study about bears in the Warner Mountains, a status report on development of a Washoe County land management bill, and discussion about a recently announced BLM proposal to revise federal grazing regulations.
The Modoc-Washoe steering committee is part of the national Experimental Stewardship Program, created by Congress in the Public Rangelands Improvement Act of 1978. The program encourages rangeland management innovation and incentives for improving conditions on public rangelands. It focuses on public lands managed by the BLM’s Surprise Field Station and Modoc National Forest lands managed by the Warner Mountain Ranger District.
The committee has diverse membership including livestock grazing permit holders, representatives from the BLM, Forest Service, and the California and Nevada Departments of Fish and Wildlife. Other interests represented include the timber industry, invasive weed control interests, resource conservation districts, the National Resource Conservation Service, environmental and sporting interests from California and Nevada, and local government.
