Medicine Bow Landscape Vegetation Analysis monitoring field trip planned for September 25, 2024
This all-day event will look at a Good Neighbor Authority timber sale in the Sierra Madre Range.
Media Contact: Aaron Voos, 970-819-2898
(LARAMIE, Wyo.) September 13, 2024 - On Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, the Medicine Bow National Forest will host its’ third annual monitoring field trip for the Landscape Vegetation Analysis (LaVA) project. The field trip is open to the public.
Monitoring and reporting are the final phase for treatments in the LaVA implementation process. The primary intent of this phase is to answer questions: Did we do what we said we were going to do? Did we get the expected outcomes? Do we need to adjust future treatments?
This year’s monitoring field trip will look at the Spool Timber Sale, which is located on the northern end of the Sierra Madre Range, in Carbon County, Wyo. The Spool project was developed and implemented collaboratively between the USDA Forest Service and Wyoming State Forestry Division using the Good Neighbor Authority (GNA). Treatments included 227 acres of clearcuts in primarily lodgepole pine stands. An additional 104 acres of equivalent treatments were implemented on adjacent Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and State of Wyoming lands. The project included an estimated 1.6 miles of road reconstruction and 1.7 miles of temporary roads.
The project area is about 45 minutes southwest of Saratoga on the Jack Creek Road, which is gravel surface and can be wash-boarded. Participants will need to provide their own transportation for the day. High-clearance vehicles are recommended, although four-wheel-drive is not needed. We will walk less than a mile off-trail on gentle to moderate terrain. Participants will need to bring appropriate clothing, footwear, food, and water for the trip. No stores, restrooms, or other facilities will be available for the duration of the trip.
We ask that everyone interested in participating in the field trip RSVP so that we can let you know when and where we will meet, in case of inclement weather, or other complications. To RSVP or if you have any questions, please contact Matt Schweich, LaVA Implementation Coordinator at matthew.schweich@usda.gov (preferred) or (307) 745-2422 (limited voicemail monitoring).
Those interested in project updates are encouraged to join our mailing list.
Additional information about the LaVA project can be found on our website. Notices, links to news articles, and additional resources are available on social media: @FS_MBRTB on X or @FSMBRTB on Facebook.