85 fire victims seek help with landscape restoration

Carson City residents with landscaping burned in the Waterfall fire will get a little help from the city to replant and revive their property.

Carson City supervisors have awarded a $155,000 grant to the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension to hire staff and train volunteers who will assist property owners with land and watershed restoration.

Carson City Cooperative Extension coordinator JoAnne Skelly said she and two new assistants will train volunteers to work with residents to form fire-safe councils, curb erosion, replant and reseed shrubs and trees.

"There are all sorts of things to consider," she said. "Our water supply, erosion, bark beetles and other pests."

She said volunteers will also educate residents on how to coordinate their restoration efforts with city and state restoration projects, particularly reseeding.

Eighty-five residents have contacted Skelly for assistance since the fire, and she expects the list to grow as residents attempt to revive their property.

Her office has also been inundated with calls from potential volunteers from schools, churches and service clubs.

"It's really encouraging," Skelly said. "We've got hundreds of people wanting to help."

Skelly will also teach a series of eight free classes throughout the year to educate residents on everything from creating defensible space to weed control.

The $155,000 grant is meant to last a year, Skelly said, while supervisors have a agreed to grant an additional $67,000 for the following year, if additional education and resources are required.

Skelly's first class, "Seeding and Erosion," will be from 6-8 p.m. Oct. 14 at the Carson City Library.

For information on Cooperative Extension's restoration efforts, call Skelly at 887-2252.

Fire Web site provides rehabilitation updates:

Carson City Manager Linda Ritter announced Wednesday the city has launched a new Web site that will focus on all aspects of the Waterfall fire, ranging in topics from the fire itself to what's being done in the aftermath.

The site, at www.carsoncityinfo.com, will be frequently updated to keep residents informed about the rehabilitation progress in the Waterfall fire burn area.

Contact Robyn Moormeister at rmoormeister@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1217.