The Sagebrush Prison Project  was successful in its quest to "re-establish" sagebrush on reclaimed abandoned mine lands throughout the Cowboy State according to Josh Oakleaf, Project Manager and Vegetation Coordinator with the Wyoming DEQ Abandoned Landmines Division in a recent press release.

Oakleaf noted that this year six inmates at Wyoming’s Honors Farm helped grow 30,478 seedlings in a greenhouse that was funded through grant dollars and DEQ.

“It’s important for the inmates involved in the program to get out and plant the seedlings they have worked so hard to grow. It gives them a sense of completion and satisfaction around the work they do in the summer in the greenhouse,” Clingerman said.

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Jeff Clark, BLM, flckr
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The Sagebrush Prison Project teaches Honor Farm inmates to grow sagebrush seedlings for restoration efforts in Wyoming. Since its start, Honor Farm inmates have grown a total of 84,845 seedlings for abandoned land mines in Wyoming and Idaho.

“Last month, two planting sessions took place where 3,773 seedlings were planted through the NPP in the Gas Hills area” he stated. The first planting saw more than a hundred Lander Middle School students plant 729 seedlings at the Day Loma Mine over two days. Students were given a tour of the mine and current reclamation techniques. The BLM gave ecology tours of undisturbed sagebrush habitat to help students understand plant diversity.

Gina Clingerman, AML archeologist and project manager for the BLM-Wyoming.  She pointed out why this is a critical program.

“Sagebrush is crucial for the survival of sage-grouse.”  She went on to add that sagebrush also plays an important role for more than 350 sagebrush obligate species, including mule deer and pronghorn antelope.

Jeff Clark, BLM, flckr
Jeff Clark, BLM, flckr
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“It’s important for the inmates involved in the program to get out and plant the seedlings they have worked so hard to grow. It gives them a sense of completion and satisfaction around the work they do in the summer in the greenhouse,” Clingerman said.

In addition, DEQ and the BLM organized two days for inmates to pick sagebrush seeds for the coming year’s grow-out. “This will be the first year of growing seedlings in the greenhouse at the Honor Farm from seeds the inmates have collected themselves,” stated Oakleaf.

K2Radio News has reached out to the head of the NPP to request more information about the inmates, if they are volunteers, and whether they are being paid or not. We will update this story if that information becomes available.

Prisoners Growing Sagebrush

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