ELY, Nev. – The Bureau of Land Management Ely District’s recent firewood sale was successful overall, but theft could put future sales at risk, cautioned Fire Management Officer Tye Petersen.
“While we have received numerous positive comments from the community about the sale, the issue of theft may impact whether we offer such a sale in the future,” said Petersen.
The White Pine High School boys football and girls soccer teams helped load firewood to raise money for equipment.
Petersen said the district in September made nearly 300 cords of firewood available for public purchase. Approximately 25 cords were stolen, he said.
The district sold the mixed pinyon-juniper firewood for $85 per cord. Similar cords are selling in Ely for $250-$300. The BLM collected approximately $25,000 through the sale of the remaining cords. The money was placed into an account for use in future forestry-related projects.
The White Pine High School boys football and girls soccer teams on select days helped people load their purchase to raise money for new sports equipment.
The firewood was harvested from 65 acres of the public lands southeast of Ely as part of the multi-year South Steptoe Valley Watershed Restoration Project. The landscape-scale project will ultimately treat up to 54,000 acres of the 200,000-plus acre watershed, restoring vegetative health and improving wildlife habitat while reducing risk of a catastrophic wildfire.
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