Pahranagat national wildlife refuge (NWR) has provided the partners for fish and wildlife program funds to work with TRI-county weed control to control more infestations of tall whitetop (perennial…

Pahranagat national wildlife refuge (NWR) has provided the partners for fish and wildlife program funds to work with TRI-county weed control to control more infestations of tall whitetop (perennial pepperweed, lepidium latifolium), a state listed noxious weed, on private lands north of pahranagat NWR, in lincoln county, nevada. Phase 1 of this project occurred in 2024, when the cooperator, treated 22 acres north of the NWR, particularly focusing on treatments along the pahranagat drain which brings water to the NWR. Tall whitetop infests riparian forest, wetlands, and wet meadows, degrading habitat for wildlife (including threatened and endangered species) and hurting local economies by degrading private ranch lands. Tall whitetop seeds and rhizomes spread from private land downstream along water ditches to the NWR. Phase 2 treatments will occur from the NWR boundary north to crystal springs. This project supports priorities identified in the FY26-30 department of the interior draft strategic plan specifically, goal 1 project is making private ranch land more productive, goal 3 project is making ecosystem healthier through removal of invasive species (objective 3.4), and goal 4 project is collaborative in nature with the service working with a unit of county government and private landowners (objective 4.2).