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Echo Park Campground to temporarily close for herbicide treatment to restore native grasslands

Craig Press Staff

The Echo Park Campground at Dinosaur will temporarily close from Wednesday, September 30, at 10 a.m. through Noon on Thursday, October 1, for the application of an herbicide to treat cheatgrass and other invasive annual plant, according to the National Park Service.

The Echo Park area will remain open to day-use visitors for hiking or other activities during this time, according to the NPS.

Cheatgrass is a highly invasive annual species, native to Eurasia, that has become common in many areas of the western United States, NPS said. In addition to outcompeting native species, cheatgrass can significantly change fire regimes resulting in an increase of fire frequency and intensity. Cheatgrass has become a dominant species in the Echo Park area of the monument. This is the first phase of a three-year project to restore native grasslands in the area and reduce the fire threat.



Over the course of the project, up to 60 acres of cheatgrass and other invasive annual plants in the Echo Park area, including the campground and along the Echo Park Road near Whispering Cave will be treated with Esplanade, an herbicide successfully used to treat cheatgrass, especially when native grasses and forbs are present, according to a press release from NPS.

When used according to label instructions, Esplanade has little to no adverse effects to human health or the environment.



For more information on Dinosaur National Monument, call us at (435) 781-7700. You can also visit the monument on the web at http://www.nps.gov/dino or follow DinosaurNPS on social media.


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