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November 11, 2009

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Wildlife officials complete winter forage project

Monday, Jan. 5, 1998 | 7:59 a.m.

The project involved the removal of about 650 acres of dense stands of pinyon and juniper trees in the Buck Mountain area of the southern Rubies.

"Once cleared, the area was aerially seeded with plant species preferred by deer," said Duane Erickson, a wildlife habitat specialist for the Nevada Division of Wildlife in Elko.

Erickson said the long-term spread of pinyon and juniper woodlands has resulted in the loss of thousands of acres of important deer winter range.

"As the density of the pinyon-juniper stands has increased over time, the understory of deer forage has been eliminated through competition," he said.

Trees were removed in an irregular pattern, leaving islands of trees that provide necessary cover for wildlife.

The project was conducted near two other sites where similar habitat enhancement projects were completed in 1989 and 1994.

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