Another round of consistent annual effort to halt expansion of cheatgrass on National Forest System land in eastern Albany County, Wyo., is scheduled to begin in May. Aerial application by helicopter of the herbicide Rejuvra will target over 5,700 acres on a landscape that has been the focus of multiple years’ worth of treatment.

A partnership between the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (USFS) and Laramie County Conservation District (LCCD) has served to continue the spraying this year. LCCD has a vested interest in the Medicine Bow National Forest, Pole Mountain unit due to its’ watersheds, rangeland, and proximity to private and state lands in neighboring Laramie County.

Via helicopter spraying, the project is scheduled to begin May 1 on multiple areas within the south and central portions of the Pole Mountain area. One small unit near the north Forest boundary is planned for treatment in 2024. Some of the spray units are receiving treatment in areas susceptible to cheatgrass after prescribed fire.

Cheatgrass will be sprayed in and around the popular Vedauwoo Recreation Area. The treatments coincide with annual seasonal road closures on Pole Mountain so impact to recreating public should be minimal.

There will be signage and maps at every kiosk or gate that enters the project area along with an electronic reader board trailer parked at the high-traffic Vedauwoo/700 road junction.

Pending weather, the project will be completed on or before May 21, prior to the opening of roads on Pole Mountain. Additional years of aerial treatment are planned on Forest, with 5,000+ acres treated over the span of the next 2-4 years.

Emphasis for the treatment is on controlling non-native, annual cheatgrass on rangeland, enhancing native vegetation species, stabilizing soils, and reducing erosion. Treating cheatgrass greatly minimizes the risk of wildfire in these areas by the reduction in fine fuels and diminishes the threat of shorter fire intervals in the future. Efforts are focused on high-risk areas where the spread of cheatgrass could allow it to become established as dominant plant species.

Aerial treatments of cheatgrass have previously proven successful on the Medicine Bow National Forest. In fact, over the last three years, 31,000 acres were treated for cheatgrass via aerial application in the Pole Mountain, Sierra Madre, and Snowy Range units.

In addition to Pole Mountain, the Ryan Fire area in the Sierra Madre Range is also slated for cheatgrass control treatment later in 2024.

Cheatgrass is a particularly aggressive invasive species that many agencies and landowners in the western United States are struggling to control. It is a prolific seed producer, thrives in disturbed areas and can displace native plants within grass and shrubland communities.

The ability to spray aerially is a result of the 2015 Record of Decision for Invasive Plant Management on the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland.

Specific questions about these projects should be directed to Jackie Roaque (USFS), 307-745-2340.

Additional resources can be found on our website. Information is also available on social media: @FS_MBRTB on X/Twitter or @FSMBRTB on Facebook.