Downy brome will be targeted by an upcoming herbicide application on the summit of Scotts Bluff National Monument/NPS

Trails atop the bluff at Scotts Bluff National Monument in western Nebraska offer a great view of the landscape early settlers passed through. If you're hoping to enjoy that view, you might want to avoid the national monument on June 5-7, when crews will be spraying invasive plant species.

National Park Service staff at the monument say invasive plant species are threatening to overwhelm native plant communities that can be important sources of food and shelter for wildlife. The National Park Service Invasive Plant Management Team (IPMT) will be working on controlling various invasive plant infestations during the week of June 3rd through 10th.

To combat the threat posed by the invasive annual grasses, cheatgrass and Japanese brome against native vegetation in the vicinity of the Summit Road parking lot and bluff-top trails, the team will target these areas for treatment using selective herbicides sometime during the range of June 5, 6, and 7. To ensure the safety of the visiting public, the herbicide treatments will require a temporary closure of the Scotts Bluff Summit area. This means that the Scotts Bluff Summit Road and upper portions of the popular Saddle Rock Trail will remain closed to visitors from sunrise until 10 a.m. on June 5, 6, or 7th.

Because herbicide application is dependent on weather conditions, the closure may happen on any of those three days. The herbicide application will not affect the Oregon Trail Pathway or Prairie View Trails and the Scotts Bluff National Monument visitor center is expected to be open for regular hours (open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily). Note there may also be temporary closures of the North and South Overlook Trails at the summit of Scotts Bluff on June 5, 6, and 7.