It was exactly what biologists and wildlife managers did not want to see.
Several years of severe drought in northeast Nevada left wildlife habitat in an extremely stressed state. And then in 2022, fueled by arid conditions combined with dense stands of mountain brush, the Wildcat Fire scorched more than 21,000 acres.
To make matters worse, post-fire conditions showed a steep decline in bitterbrush resprouting – bad news for an area that serves as summer and transition habitat for elk, a key migration corridor for one of Nevada’s largest mule deer herds, and important year-round habitat for moose, pronghorn antelope, Greater sage-grouse and other wildlife.
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation jumped in with the Nevada Department of Wildlife and Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest to do something about it. Together, with the help of contracted crews and volunteers, they planted 64,260 bitterbrush and Wyoming sagebrush plants in the fall of 2023 as part of a wider effort to boost restoration.
Landscape monitoring also showed invasive cheatgrass, which offers zero nutrition for wildlife, started to invade the post-burn area. So, crews took to the skies to attack and knock down the invasion across more than 3,500 acres.
The treatment helped reduce erosion and allowed perennial vegetation, like bitterbrush that’s so important for migrating mule deer, to re-establish itself and become more resilient.
The project area just outside the Jarbidge Wilderness is popular for hunting and other recreation.
Restoring elk country is fundamental to RMEF’s mission of ensuring the future of elk, other wildlife, their habitat and our hunting heritage.
Since 1984, RMEF has helped conserve or enhance nearly 9 million acres of wildlife habitat.