Bi-State Sagebrush Enhancement Project (Request No. 1652-2026-091-001-R6)

The Bi-State Sagebrush Enhancement Project, identified by Request Number 1652-2026-091-001-R6, is a habitat restoration initiative approved by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Led by Richard Kyle Faig of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the project is located on the Hunewill Family property in the Bodie Hills near Bridgeport, Mono County, approximately a half mile west of the California-Nevada border. The primary objective is to support the recovery of the greater sage-grouse and Lahontan cutthroat trout through the restoration and enhancement of Halfway Creek, Rough Creek, and associated meadows. The scope of work involves implementing low-tech, process-based restoration actions, including the construction of beaver dam analogs, post-assisted log structures, and Zuni bowl/Zeedyk structures. Additional activities include removing encroaching pinyon-juniper woodlands, reconstructing an old diversion structure and irrigation ditch to hydrate a disconnected floodplain meadow, and installing wildlife-friendly fencing. The project is expected to result in approximately 4.09 acres of disturbance and has been granted a Class 33 Categorical Exemption under the California Code of Regulations for small habitat restoration projects. Administrative coordination is managed by Environmental Scientist Dana Scott and the US Fish and Wildlife Service Reno Field Office.