Letter: Closer camp needed to battle thirsty weed

Thursday, Dec. 29, 2005 | 8:23 a.m.

Ann Schreiber, Moapa resident and director of the nonprofit Muddy River Regional Environmental Impact Alleviation Committee (MRREIAC), has been battling the plant along the Upper Muddy River for over 10 years. Funded through grants and Clark County's Habitat Conservation Plan, MRREIAC has over 140 acres cleared of tamarisk and native plant restoration in progress.

This could not be accomplished without the hard work of the Nevada Division of Forestry crews. The conservation crews and supervisors are trained for various assignments including, but not limited to, forest and watershed health and management and wildfire prevention, suppression and rehabilitation.

Unfortunately these crews must travel from Indian Springs, and are in high demand for the Mount Charleston and Las Vegas Valley areas.

A satellite camp located between the Moapa and Virgin valleys would increase crew hours to help control the infestation of salt cedar, assist the rural volunteer fire departments, the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service and other local communities' needs.

The Nevada Division of Forestry crews are effective at tamarisk removal; we need a camp located closer to the Muddy and Virgin Rivers and the Lake Mead Recreation Area.

Nancy Hall Mesquite Editor's note: The writer is co-director of the Muddy River Regional Environmental Impact Alleviation Committee.