Sheep to graze Arrowcreek hillsides
- The U.S. Forest Service began deploying about 900 sheep near Reno’s Arrowcreek community on April 28 to graze invasive weeds and cut wildfire fuels. - Herders from Gardnerville’s Borda Land and Sheep Company are working the Arrowhawk project area, where roughly 1,500 acres are treated each year. - Sheep have been used there since 2013, with leash rules enforced to protect flocks and dogs. (fs.usda.gov)
About 900 sheep started grazing west of Reno’s Arrowcreek community on April 28 as part of the U.S. Forest Service’s wildfire mitigation program. (fs.usda.gov) The sheep are being moved into the Arrowhawk Fuels Reduction Project area, just west of Arrowcreek and north of Timberline Road, in the Thomas Creek and Whites Creek watersheds. (fs.usda.gov) (mynews4.com) The Forest Service said targeted grazing is aimed at cheatgrass and other invasive weeds that people and mowing equipment struggle to reach on steep ground. (fs.usda.gov) Cheatgrass dries out fast and creates a dense bed of fine fuel, which helps fire spread quickly toward nearby homes and trails. Forest Service fuels specialist Jed Rudelbach said the grass is “an aggressive, non-native species” that outcompetes native plants. (fs.usda.gov) The sheep are being monitored by herders from Borda Land and Sheep Company of Gardnerville, Nevada. The Forest Service said about 1,500 acres in the area are treated annually. (fs.usda.gov) This is not a new experiment for south Reno. The Forest Service said sheep have been used to reduce fuels in the Arrowcreek area since 2013. (fs.usda.gov) The grazing area is also a busy recreation zone for hikers and dog walkers, and the agency said incidents involving sheep and off-leash dogs have been increasing. (fs.usda.gov) Washoe County ordinances and Forest Order 04-17-11-06 require dogs to be leashed in the project area during livestock operations. The Forest Service said that rule is meant to protect both the flock and pets. (fs.usda.gov 1) (fs.usda.gov 2) For Arrowcreek residents, that means sheep, herders and grazing activity are back on the hillsides this spring, serving as one of the area’s annual fire-season preparations. (fs.usda.gov)
