LANDSCAPE NEWSVolume 15, Issue 1: February 2016

Eastern Nevada Landscape Coalition

Highlights of the 11th Annual Winter Weed Conference

On January 13 and 14 ENLC and Tri-County Weed hosted their 11th Annual Winter Weed Conference. The conference was well-attended with more than 75 participants from all across eastern and southern Nevada. Of the 75 plus participants, 32 received continuing education credits for their applicator’s licenses and certifications. An additional 10-15 individuals took the applicator exam following the conference. Although there was not a specific theme this year, there were numerous presentations on invasive annual grasses, particularly Medusahead.

Dr. Sherm Swanson of University of Nevada opened the conference with a presentation on how annual

grasses can move ecosystems across the state and transition thresholds into undesirable conditions. He noted that fall grazing on

cheatgrass can be used to reduce fuel loading, but spring grazing is extremely challenging because the timing of the grazing is so inexact. He further noted that although Medusahead can be grazed in the spring, it is difficult to force livestock to graze it because its high silica content makes it much less palatable.

Dr. Scott Nissen of Colorado State University gave an interesting presentation on Indaziflam, a new herbicide with potential for invasive annual grass

control. Dr. Nissen’s research showed that treatment with the Indaziflam resulted in 95-100 percent control of annual grasses up to two years post treatment, while allowing for a 10 to 16-fold increase in perennial grass populations. This chemical is still in the trial stages, but it looks like it could be a valuable tool for annual grass control on rangelands. However, it is not labeled for pastures or rangeland that will be grazed by livestock.

Collaborative Wood Utilization Demonstration Project Underway...See article pages 4-5

Continued on page 3

Eric Roussel of NDF standing with kiln during first phase of burning biomass.

Annual grasses can move ecosystems across the state and transition thresholds into undesirable conditions.

- Dr. Sherm Swanson

Page 2 Landscape News

Our MissionThe mission of the Eastern Nevada Landscape Coalition is to restore the dynamic, diverse, resilient landscapes of the arid and semi-arid West for present and future generations through education, research, advocacy, partnerships, and the implementation of on-the-ground projects.

Our VisionWe envision a future where the ecosystems of the arid and semi-arid West thrive. Functioning, diverse ecosystems will be the result of restoration achieved and maintained with naturally occurring disturbances such as fire, in combination with other management prescriptions, including traditional uses. The Eastern Nevada Landscape Coalition, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, will be a recognized contributor and leader in this effort for future generations of Americans.

Eastern Nevada Landscape Coalition

Board of DirectorsRobert Koch, ChairRhonda Hornbeck, Vice ChairJerry Martin, TreasurerLaurie Carson, SecretaryCarol Ferguson • John HiattKent McAdoo • Connie Simkins Bill Wilson

Betsy Macfarlan, Executive Director

The Landscape News is published four times per year. Design and layout by

Tempra Board & Associates.

enlc@sbcglobal.net • www.envlc.org

Thoughts From the BarnBetsy Macfarlan, Executive Director

Continued on next page.

Welcome to 2016. By the time I started this column we were already three weeks into the New Year. Like many of you, the older I get the faster time seems to fly by.

ENLC and Tri-County Weed just wrapped up our 11th Annual Winter Weed Conference. We had over 75 participants

this year and the audience was a good mix of farmers, ranchers, and agency and state employees. Dr. Nissen, the presenter from Colorado State University, said he was surprised at the number of participants considering we were meeting “in the middle of nowhere.” There is more on the conference in this newsletter.

Now that the Winter Weed Conference is in the rearview mirror it is time for me to get started on planning for the Summer Conference. This year’s conference will be held June 14-15, in Ely at the Bristlecone Convention Center. The theme for this year is Climate Change in the Great Basin. Stay tuned for more information on the conference as the months progress, but please note the dates on your calendars.

Since my last column we have had yet another personnel change. Kalie Urbanowitz left ENLC in September to move to Salem, Oregon. Kalie was replaced by Emily Willard, one of our seasonals from the Elko Emergency Stabilization and Restoration (ESR) crews,

who stepped in to act as my part-time administrative assistant over the winter months. Now we are losing Emily to White Pine County. I want to thank Emily for her help with the Nevada Weed Management Association conference and for her help pulling the Winter Weed Conference together.

Field season is just around the corner so we have started placing ads for seasonal crew members to work on the Elko and Ely ESR crews and for other positions on other projects. If you or anyone you know is interested in a seasonal natural resource position please check out ENLC’s website, www.envlc.org. We will update the site with new position announcements as we place them.

For those of you who have renewed your annual membership with ENLC over the past several months I want to extend a personal

This year’s Summer Conference will be held June 14-15, in Ely at the Bristlecone Convention Center. The theme for this year is Climate Change in the Great Basin.

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Betsy Macfarlan

Thoughts From the BarnContinued from previous page.

Continued from page one

thanks to you for your continuing support. Without the private dollars we receive from our members we would not be able to undertake some of the projects that we do.

Lastly I would like to thank Paula Day for all of her help over the last several years with the Winter Weed Conference, the coordination of the CWMA meetings, and tracking our CWMA grant funds. Paula has been the office manager for Tri-County Weed, but as of January 29, she hung up her keyboard and retired. Thank you again for all your help Paula.

Stay tuned to our upcoming field season through our website and follow us on Instagram, where we post photos taken in the field of Nevada’s beautiful scenery throughout the seasons with #enlcinthefield.

Until next time,

In order for this to be truly beneficial for much of the West, this chemical will need to be approved for use with grazing animals.

Jamie Abbott from the Nevada Department of Agriculture also gave an informative presentation on Medusahead. She discussed its ecology, invasive characteristics, and the potential impacts that large infestations of Medusahead can have on Nevada ecosystems. Medusahead is currently in many western and northern Nevada counties. In some areas the infestations are relatively small and a concentrated effort is being made to contain them. In other areas, such as Peavine Mountain outside of Reno and Paradise

Valley north of Winnemucca, the infestations consume thousands of acres.

Brian Rector, of the USDA-ARS Great Basin Rangelands Research Unit in Reno gave two very

informative presentations on potential biocontrol agents for invasive grasses and Perennial Pepperweed. He discussed what it takes to approve a biocontrol agent and USDA goes about tracking down new agents to study. Unfortunately the approval of biocontrol agents is even more drawn out than the approval of new chemicals because USDA needs to verify that the agent will not impact desirable crop species.

Robert Leavitt from the Nevada Department of

Agriculture led an hour-long discussion on the proposed regulation changes for pesticide applicators. As a result of his presentation ENLC submitted comments to the Nevada Department of Agriculture regarding mechanical treatment, inventory, and monitoring of vegetative invasive species.

These are just a few of the highlights of the conference. There were also presentations on controlling Perennial Pepperweed, potential new invaders to eastern Nevada, applicator laws and regulations, the Humboldt Watershed CWMA, and reseeding successes.

The 12th Annual Winter Weed Conference will be held January 11-12, 2017. Please mark your calendars now to reserve those dates. As always, this event will offer CEU credits for applicators, but attendance benefits both invasive species professionals and concerned citizens alike. We hope to see you in 2017 as we continue on our journey to make strides in the war on noxious and invasive weeds.

11th Annual Winter Weed Meeting Highlights

Medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae).

Eastern Nevada Landscape Coalition (ENLC) and Pinyon Juniper Partnership are cooperating with Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest-Ely Ranger District, Nevada Division of Forestry (NDF), and Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS), Moscow, Idaho to produce biochar on site and use it as a soil application to restore depleted rangelands. Funding came from a USFS Wood Utilization Grant.

The project is located in northern White River Valley where the Ely Ranger District already conducted pinyon-juniper treatments. Woody biomass residue from cut pinyon and juniper trees are fed into the portable biochar kilns. Biochar is produced in the kilns through pyrolysis, a process that heats wood at high temperatures with limited oxygen. Biochar produced at the site will be moved to nearby USFS rangeland site to be added into the soil. At that time, grass plugs and native herbaceous seed mix will be planted on both biochar and non-biochar plots to test efficacy of the treatment.

The purpose of this project is to demonstrate 1) the ability and usefulness of producing biochar using inexpensive, mobile pyrolysis units placed at the site of a lands treatment; and, 2) The effectiveness of adding biochar to depleted rangelands to increase carbon in the soil (improving water holding capacity and vegetative productivity).

The kilns being used were designed, produced, and transported by Nevada Division of Forestry. Production of biochar by NDF crews has just begun and will continue for the next 4-6 weeks. Smoke may be seen in the area for short periods of time when kilns are first ignited. ENLC and Ely Ranger District personnel will be monitoring production. When biochar production is complete, it will be applied with the seed mix and grass plugs under the direction of RMRS. The study will be ongoing over the next couple of years and study results will be reported by the RMRS.

By: Julie Thompson

Collaborative Wood Utilization (Biochar) Project Underway

Eric Roussel checking quality of biochar.

NDF Crew loading and assembling a kiln.

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Ely District Manager Michael Herder announces the selection of Alicia Styles as the Basin and Range National Monument Manager.

“Alicia comes to us from the Ely District’s Caliente Field Office where since October she’s been serving as Acting Monument Manager. Before that, she served in the field office for 10 years as a wildlife biologist,” Herder said. “Alicia’s ability to engage diverse interests and reach resolution on difficult issues in a timely manner makes her the ideal individual for this position.”

“I look forward to building upon BLM’s involvement with our many stakeholders and, with their active participation, developing a management plan for the Basin and Range National Monument,” Styles said.

Styles is coordinating with local, state and federal elected and government officials, Native American tribes, BLM advisory councils, local residents, and other key stakeholders to plan the future of the 704,000-acre Monument with “maximum public involvement,” as directed by the Proclamation issued on July 10, 2015, by President Barack Obama.

More information about the Basin and Range National Monument is available online at http://on.doi.gov/1LT79wP.

New BLM Basin and Range National Monument ManagerAlicia Styles, Longtime Caliente Field Office Wildlife Biologist Selected

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Jordan Adams, Ely NevadaJim Allred, Lund NevadaJim and Donna Bath, Ely NevadaBath Lumber, Ely NevadaHarry Baynes, Ely NevadaTempra Board, Chico CaliforniaRobert Bobbett, Las Vegas NevadaKaren Boeger, Washoe Valley NevadaShane Boren, Ely NevadaLaurie Carson, Ely NevadaRod Conner, McGill NevadaWalt Cripps, Ely NevadaJohn Denton, Ely NevadaRom DiCianno, Ely NevadaCarolyn Drayton, Ely NevadaJohn Falen Livestock, Orovada NevadaCarol and Andy Ferguson, Baker Nevada – Lifetime MembersRich Fillman, Gilbert ArizonaEdna Forsgren, Duckwater NevadaDon Geary, Baker NevadaDominic Gentilcore, Las Vegas NevadaSusan Godon, Ely NevadaDenton Gubler, Lund NevadaJoe Guild, Reno NevadaCarole Hanks, Ely NevadaSam Henriod, Ely NevadaJohn and Hermi Hiatt, Las Vegas Nevada – Lifetime MembersRonda and Dave Hornbeck, Pioche NevadaDaren Jenson, Lund NevadaLarry Johnson, Reno Nevada – Lifetime MemberClifton and Linda Kemp, McGill NevadaStephanie Licht-Holl, Spring Creek NevadaBetsy Macfarlan, Preston NevadaChris MacKenzie, Carson City NevadaJerry Martin, Ely NevadaOrvan and Jolynn Maynard, Lund NevadaCody Maynard, Lund Nevada

Rod McKenzie, Lund NevadaDouglas Miller, State College, PennsylvaniaBeau Miller, Sacramento CaliforniaNevada Cattlemen’s Association, Elko NevadaJose Noriega, Ely NevadaThomas Oxborrow, Ely NevadaBart Parker, Ibapah UtahRick Perigo, Ely NevadaLee Ringueberg, Lund NevadaGreg and Debbie Rivero, Lund NevadaBrandi Roberts, Baker NevadaClaude Rose, Ely NevadaTom Rosevear, Ely NevadaAmy and John Ruhs, Reno NevadaSusan Schulz-Stark, Ely NevadaMarge Sill, Reno NevadaDavid Starrett, Ely NevadaHerb Stathes, Houma, LouisianaSherman Swanson, Reno NevadaRobin Tausch, Reno NevadaNancy Upham, Fallon NevadaHank Vogler, Ely NevadaSusan Wetmore, Baker NevadaJennifer Wilson, Ely NevadaBill and Judy Wolf, Ely Nevada – Lifetime Members

Thanks to Our Members for Your Continuing Support

ENLC extends its thanks to our members. The following individuals have renewed their membership or joined ENLC between September 1, 2015 and January 31, 2016. New members to ENLC are in bold.

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ENLC Membership

Student (enrolled in school) $ 15Senior (60+) $ 25Individual $ 35Associate Restoration Partnerand/or Nonprofit Organization $100-$999Corporate $250Lifetime Restoration Partner $1,000 and above

Lifetime Restoration Partners: Indicate if you would like to be recognized on a specific project.

Yes, I would like to be recognized on a specific project. Please contact me.No, I do not wish to be recognized on a specific project.

Membership contributions are tax deductable.Send your check and this form to:

ENLC • PO Box 150266 • Ely, NV 89315Contact us at: 775.289.7974

JOIN US in restoring the dynamic, diverse, resilient landscapes of the arid and semi-arid West!

Name

Business/Organization

Address

City State Zip Code

Phone Fax

Cell Email

Website (if applicable)

Membership Level

A Plus Services, Organic ProductsBill Wilson GeoCruise-In Car Wash & Lube Dow AgroSciencesDr. Sherburne MacfarlanLas Vegas Water DistrictNewmont Mining Corp.

ENLC Thanks Conference SponsorsThe 11th Annual Winter Weed Conference was a success in part due to our sponsors. Without the

support of these individuals and businesses we would have to charge a much higher registration fee for the conference, which would make it prohibitive for some to participate. On behalf of ENLC and the Winter Weed Conference participants we extend our heartfelt thanks to the following:

O’Flaherty Plumbing & HeatingPattern Energy (Spring Valley LLC)Prospector Hotel and Gambling HallThe First National Bank of ElyThe Nature ConservancyWilbur-Ellis Co.

Eastern Nevada Landscape CoalitionPO Box 150266Ely, NV 89315775.289.7974enlc@sbcglobal.net

Calendar of EventsFebruary 15 President’s Day – ENLC office closed

February 25 S. NV CWMA Meeting 10:00-12:00, location to be announced

February 21-27 National Invasive Species Week

March 2016 Stay tuned for CWMA meeting announcements in the mail

April 6-10 Clark County Fair, check out the S. NV CWMA booth

April 8 White Pine County CRM meeting, BLM office 10:00 a.m.

April 23 S. NV CWMA Earth Day Project at Pitman Wash

May 30 Memorial Day – ENLC office closed

June 15-16 Summer Conference: Climate Change in the Great Basin

July 4 Independence Day – ENLC office closed