Volunteers, Alabama Hills Stewardship Group members and BLM staff planted 144 native grasses and shrubs to limit loss of vegetation at a popular dispersed campsite near the “Bowling Alley,” a rock formation in the Alabama Hills. The Bowling Alley formation is rich in film history and continues to be a popular filming location today. Over the years, the recreational use at this site has led to more and more bare ground as the vegetation was run over by vehicles. In desert sites like this, vegetation is slow to recover once it is disturbed. The grasses and shrubs were grown in Bishop using seed collected locally. After the plants were in the ground, a plant screen was staked around them to protect the plants from being eaten. The protective screen also provides a visual barrier that vehicles tend to avoid.
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsbytes/2014/613_extra-_alabama.html
Volunteers plant native grasses and shrubs. (Photo by BLM)