Zion Asks for Comments on Environmental Assessment

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Zion National Park News Release

September 15, 2006
Ron Terry 435 772-0160
David Eaker 435 772-7811
06-17

Zion National Park Asks for Comments on an Environmental Assessment

Information Open House to be held in Virgin, September 28
Zion National Park is seeking comments on an Environmental Assessment (EA) that assesses the impacts of the aerial application of herbicide on the area burned in the Kolob Fire. The human-caused Kolob Fire started on June 24, 2006 and burned 10,615 acres within the park in the North Creek watershed.

The proposed aerial application of herbicide on up to 10,280 acres is intended to interrupt the grass-fire cycle that is perpetuated by cheatgrass, a non-native, highly flammable grass. Cheatgrass increases in abundance and density after fire. As cheatgrass continues to invade and increase after each fire, the time between fires becomes shorter. The National Park Service (NPS) proposes to treat the burned area with the herbicide Plateau