Agencies target overgrown juniper

By Jane Braxton Little -- Bee Correspondent Thursday, August 18, 2005
Story appeared in Metro section, Page B2

ALTURAS - The federal Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service and four northeastern California counties are planning to restore 6.5 million acres of sagebrush-steppe impacted by western juniper, which has expanded out of its natural habitat.

Juniper stands, normally confined to rocky hillsides, have increased 15-fold over the past century, spreading into rangeland and reducing its productivity for livestock grazing, said Rob Jeffers, project manager for the Modoc National Forest.

Left unmanaged, these encroaching juniper stands will crowd out plant species that are important to deer, antelope, sage grouse and other wildlife, BLM officials said.

After more than a year of study, the agencies are developing a management plan that uses fire and mechanical treatments to encourage more diverse vegetation.