Elko Daily Free Press 6-5-10

USFS seeks input on bull trout project

ELKO — The U.S. Forest Service’s Jarbidge Ranger District is seeking comments on the proposed Dave Creek Bull Trout Habitat Enhancement Project.

The district is planning the project to maintain and improve existing bull trout habitats by protecting riparian conditions from potential impacts of cattle grazing, according to an announcement.

The protection would involve construction of a new fence within the Dave Creek grazing allotment.

“We’re working with the permittee there,” said Gar Abbas, the Jarbidge and Ruby Mountains district ranger.

He said the Wilkins Island Ranch Co. agreed on the installation of a fence, which also will keep cattle from going into a canyon.

“It turned out to be a good project for us and the permittee,” Abbas said.

According to the Forest Service, the measures are needed to protect bull trout, which are federally listed as threatened, along Dave Creek, Jack Creek and Jenny Creek in northern Elko County.

The plan calls for roughly eight miles of new fence along the canyon rims of Dave Creek and Jack Creek to create a riparian pasture that will be managed to limit grazing.

The plan also calls for annual closure of the areas to all grazing after Aug. 15 each year to assure bull trout spawning activities aren’t disturbed.

The fence would be a standard four-wire, pounded T-post and welded steel pipe construction design, such as the Forest Service built last year to replace fire-damaged fences on the Jarbidge and Mountain city ranger districts, according to the announcement.

The Forest Service plans an environmental analysis that will look at all the issues, including impacts to forest land users, impacts to adjacent private lands, impacts on riparian areas and water quality, impacts on wildlife and to heritage resources.

Deadline for comments is June 25.

Written comments may be mailed to Dave Creek Project Leader Dirk Netz at the Ruby Mountain and Jarbidge ranger districts, P.O. Box 246, Wells, NV 89835, or faxed to him at 775-752-1799.

E-mailed comments may be sent to comments-intermtn-humboldt-toiyabe-rubymts-jarbidge@fs.fed.us, including 2010 Dave Creek Project in the subject line.