The Bureau of Land Management will reduce dense thickets of non-native tamarisk trees along the Virgin River near Mesquite between March 29 and April 15.
The project aims to restore the native streamside cottonwood, willow and ash to provide food and shelter for wildlife.
Tamarisk are highly flammable, displace native plants and increase the concentration of salt in the upper layers of the soil, which hurts less salt-tolerant native plants, the BLM said.
The initial phase will involve heavy equipment removing and grinding down the tamarisk into small pieces, which will be left on-site to act as a mulch to help establish native plants.
Eventually, seedlings of native plants will be planted, protected, and nurtured.
