Public should be aware of aerial cheatgrass spraying on Pole Mountain

(LARAMIE, Wyo.)  – Public visitors to the Pole Mountain unit of the Medicine Bow National are advised that aerial spraying of cheatgrass will occur weather permitting between Tuesday, April 29 and Wednesday, May 14, 2025.

Application by helicopter of the herbicide Rejuvra will target 1,693 acres on a landscape that has been the focus of multiple years’ worth of treatment. Specifically, the section of Forest directly south of the Interstate 80 summit will be treated, between the Interstate and Forest Road 705 (Blair-Wallis Road).

The treatments coincide with annual seasonal road closures on Pole Mountain so impact to recreating public should be minimal. Signage and treatment maps will be posted at main public access points into the treatment area. Public should avoid the treatment areas during active helicopter operations.

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.

Over the past four years, there has been consistent annual effort to halt expansion of cheatgrass on National Forest System land in eastern Albany County, Wyo. Additional years of aerial treatment are planned on Forest, with 3,000+ acres treated over the span of the next 1-3 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 four years, 41,000 acres were treated for cheatgrass via aerial application in the Pole Mountain, Sierra Madre, and Snowy Range units.

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’ or @FSMBRTB on Facebook.