Ferris indian creek, located approximately 20 miles south of battle mountain, has been a large, continuous weed spraying project since 2018

Targeting both private and public lands, lander county conservation district teamed up with several participating agencies to spray 400 acres of the noxious weed hoary cress (also known as whitetop.) whitetop generally crowds out all other beneficial vegetation and destabilizes the creek beds. Lccd will continue contracts for spraying in the future, as this project is deemed essential by local and state government for the wellbeing of the area. A team of 10-20 employees with backpack sprayers with BLM and state of nevada approved herbicide will be used to treat the area, as well as two trucks with a 150 and 300 gallon sprayers to shuttle water to the backpack workers.after spraying has been completed, site to be evaluated for seeding to reduce competition of invasive species. Rangeland drill to be used to RE seed project area with native seed to help with long term restoration goals of project area. Site to be monitored yearly for RE-seeding needs based on native plant growth, fire reduction, drought conditions, habitat needs and general well-being of the project area. Delaying the spraying of ferris creek will allow noxious species to flourish and take over native plants, reducing feed as wildlife and livestock do not generally consume invasive species due to physical and chemical properties that render them unpalatable, and reducing habitat for but not limited to the native sage grouse and mule deer population. For these animals, site stabilization and the establishment of the biological community are crucial. Without weed spray and seeding efforts, natural recovery will be little or nonexistent. Applying seed will support the proposed herbicide treatments inside the project perimeter and help reduce the density of invasive exotic plant species. The hillsides will also receive crucial stability as a result.