Here they come: Firefighting sheep return to munch Carson City hillsides of cheatgrass
Hundreds of sheep will arrive in the hills west of Carson City this week and next week, with heightened alert and expectations as fire season arrives when the rain and snow stops and the heat settles in.
As part of Carson Ranger District's Hazardous Fuels Reduction Program, Humboldt-Toiyabe Forest has partnered with Carson City Open Space Properties to have the sheep released to graze on the West Carson Fuels Project.
These sheep, hundreds of them, help remove cheatgrass and other non-native vegetation from both Carson City lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service, especially in the C-Hill area.
"Cheatgrass is an aggressive, non-native species outcompeting our native vegetation," said Fuels Specialist Steve Howell in a U.S. Forest Service news release. "It eventually pushes out our native grasses and shrubs from their natural habitat. Cheatgrass pants also create an exceptional fuel bed for wildfire spread and can be a threat to the surrounding Carson City communities.
The West Carson Fuels Project is located on the west side of Carson City. Grazing will begin on around 500 acres of forest service land. Once again, the Forest Service has contracted Borda Land and Sheep Company from Gardnerville in Douglas County, to perform the grazing project. Approximately 1,000 ewes have been divided in half between two locations monitored by herders and livestock guard dogs.
The northern flock will be released to start grazing this week behind Western Nevada College. A week later, the southern flock will start grazing behind the Greenhouse Garden Center, weather permitting. Grazing will continue through the end of May.
"This program is an important collaboration to help keep the Carson City community safe from destructive wildfire," said Carson District Ranger Matt Zumstein in the news release. "Grazing sheep is a cost-effective, low-impact and natural way to efficiently reduce the spread of this invasive species."
Many of the fuels reduction project areas where the sheep graze are popular places for people to hike with their dogs. However, this popularity has resulted in an increased number of incidents where off-leash dogs are harassing sheep.
Continuation of the sheep grazing program can only continue if the sheep and dogs can be kept safe from harm. Both uses can co-exist as long as the public abides by the Carson City animal ordinances and posted trail rules for dogs.
"Together we can keep both the sheep and pets safe from harm and protect the Carson City community from catastrophic wildfire," said Howell.
- Carson City
- 000
- Alert
- carson
- Carson City Community
- center
- Cheatgrass
- City
- collaboration
- college
- community
- Community,
- county
- dogs
- Douglas
- Douglas County
- fire
- forest
- fuels reduction
- garden
- garden center
- Habitat
- help
- hike
- May
- natural
- Nevada
- News
- news
- open space
- pets
- program
- public
- rain
- Ranger
- Safe
- service
- Snow
- Space
- U
- weather
- West Side of Carson City
- western
- Western Nevada College
- Forest Service
- Gardnerville
- Greenhouse Garden Center
- invasive species
- livestock
- wildfire