WHEATLAND - Bob Shoemaker hopes a major effort to remove thousands of invasive trees around Festo Lake will restore riparian areas, improve wildlife habitat and livestock range, and offer better recreational opportunities.

The Platte County Weed and Pest District supervisor is leading the $125,000 project to remove Russian olive and saltcedar trees, and to replant the area with evergreens provided by the Wheatland chapter of Pheasants Forever. Shoemaker hopes the improved riparian areas will also heal underwater aquatic habitat, which he said is no longer fit for even carp.

�In the last six to 10 years we�ve seen habitat loss in Platte County that�s been real alarming,� Shoemaker said during a tour of the site Saturday. �We see our riparian areas, for the most part, drying up. This is a lake that�s in trouble. This project may be the great hope for Festo Lake.�

The Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resources Trust Fund board awarded $30,000 to the 121-acre project in 2007. Additional funding has come from numerous state, local and county partners.

The space surrounding small Festo Lake is denuded following the first phase of work. Massive stumps of Russian olive trees are scattered among the winter remnants of reeds and grasses. In the lake, a lack of water circulation has increased pollution levels as low oxygen levels smother fish.

But the area has potential, especially with the commitment of dozens of locals who want to re-create a pleasant recreational space close to town.

�We�ve got big plans for this area,� Shoemaker said during the tour. �We�re just in the infancy. What you see is what�s left after we removed the Russian olives, but this is just the beginning.�

At a tour of the site Saturday, Gov. Dave Freudenthal applauded that commitment.

�I really do appreciate what you�re doing,� he said. �It�s a great community project. If we can create these sorts of community amenities, people really have a chance to go out and enjoy why they live in Wyoming.�

Russian olive and saltcedar trees suck up millions of gallons of water from riparian areas, leaving little for aquatic habitats and beneficial native species.

Similar projects in Goshen and Niobrara counties and other places are also managing Russian olive and saltcedar invasions, and the trust has two more grant requests pending.

In Wheatland, Shoemaker is already seeing more far-reaching effects. People stop by the weed and pest office almost daily, asking how they can get rid of Russian olives on their own rural acreages.

�We�ve gone through drought before, Wyoming has, but we don�t see our reservoirs going down to nothing,� Shoemaker said. �There is something else that�s a big player out there, and I think it�s these Russian olives and saltcedars.

�We can�t do anything about the drought - we can�t make it rain. But we can do something about these invasive tree weeds that are taking our water.�