Are you looking for a "boots on the ground" habitat improvement project on public lands? This is your opportunity to join the AZ BHA chapter on Oct 17-19 to take part in a fence removal on the Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, presented by OnX. BHA Habitat Stewardship Coordinator Bard Edrington will be leading this event. The site is located ~1 hour south of Mesquite, NV and in close proximity to St. George, UT and Las Vegas, NV. We are encouraging both UT and NV BHA members to volunteer for this event.
Fourteen miles of fencing were erected in 2006 and 2007 to protect sensitive habitat that was re-seeded after large wildfires. The areas have since recovered and the fencing needs to be removed.
Fencing can cause unnecessary stress and habitat fragmentation for wildlife. Barbed wire is effective at keeping cattle in, but prevents ungulates from moving freely. Deer and elk can become entangled in the wire and fawns and calves can become separated from their mothers. This is where BHA volunteers come in.
We will be removing as much fencing as possible over the course of a weekend. Volunteers will drop the fencing and a skid steer with a wire winder attachment will be used to roll up the wire. The work is tough but impactful. Removing one mile of fencing has an immediate positive impact on habitat connectivity.
Win one of two $250 Gift Card's to 
Show up and help pull fence and get entered to win!
We also have free BHA Swag. Get a BHA Habitat Steward hat, cup and sticker.
Weekend Schedule
Friday October 17- Volunteers can arrive anytime on Friday.
Saturday October 18- BHA will provide breakfast and coffee before we head into the field. We will have a safety talk and briefing on how we will remove fence. Bring your own lunch and water. We will be in the field for a full day.
Saturday night- Plan on bringing a dish for the Wild Game potluck, (wild game if you have it).
Sunday October 19- We will remove fencing for a 1/2 day, giving everyone time to pack up camp and head home.
Directions
A camping location has been chosen on the Gold Butte National Monument in NV. There are multiple dispersed camping areas large enough for trailers. Look for BHA signs.
Route: From Mesquite, NV you take the Gold Butte Backcountry Byway ~21 miles south to the Whitney Pocket area. From there, the fence removal site is another ~7 miles.
I have made an OnX folder with waypoints and routes. OnX Folder
Camping location: 36.5242, -114.13299
Fence Removal location: 36.50615, -114.03015
Tools
BHA will provide work gloves and wire cutting tools. If you have some to bring, they would be helpful. Bring close toed shoes and sunglasses. Barbed wire has a mind of its own and can be dangerous at times.