Tree Removal To Begin At Merritt Reservoir
- KVSH
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Starting in mid-December, contractors hired by Nebraska Game and Parks will remove
eastern red cedar and Rocky Mountain juniper from the prairie and shelterbelts at
the wildlife management area and state recreation area near Valentine.
Shelterbelts of pine and deciduous trees on the WMA and SRA will be maintained to
provide shade and cover for campers, picnickers and wildlife, such as deer. Trees
along the Snake River and Merritt Reservoir will only be removed if necessary to
allow for access to juniper encroachment.
The removals are part of a larger effort to protect the Sandhills prairies, which
are a unique set of grasses, forbs, sedges and woody plants. Together, they provide
essential habitat for both game species — such as sharp-tailed grouse, greater
prairie-chicken and mule deer — and at-risk or endangered species, such as
Blanding’s turtles, American burying beetles and regal fritillary butterflies.
The U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and private landowners
already have removed cedar trees on their properties, and this effort will continue
on public and private lands in the area to preserve or restore grasslands. These
properties will then be managed to prevent regeneration of trees.
Benefits of tree removal include:
* preserved prairies; the Sandhills is one of the last intact grasslands in the
world;
* improved grass and forb production for livestock; and
* reduced wildfire danger to homes, park facilities and campgrounds.
Trees that are removed will be mulched or used in the reservoir to create aquatic
habitat for fish. Trees too big to mulch will be piled to burn later.
Merritt Reservoir was completed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for irrigation
purposes in 1964. Game and Parks manages the reservoir and surrounding prairies for
wildlife and recreation.
Game and Parks is coordinating this regional project along with the U.S. Bureau of
Reclamation.
