Restore a Chihuahuan lowland creosote and tarbush segment, segment 5, Salt Basin trough, public county road right of way near Wildhorse Flat, Culberson County, TX 79855 (2026-07-28)

This stretch of Chihuahuan lowland shrubland near Wildhorse Flat is losing its native creosote and tarbush structure to invasive grass encroachment, cover that would otherwise support the desert's pollinators and steady the loose bolson soil. Standard: USDA NRCS pollinator habitat establishment practice plus SDG 15.5 biodiversity, applied here to Chihuahuan lowland creosote and tarbush shrubland restoration along the Salt Basin trough near Van Horn, Culberson County, Texas. Proof: before/after photos plus area-cleared record plus species/count record plus GPS Method (USDA NRCS pollinator habitat establishment practice plus SDG 15.5 biodiversity, applied here to Chihuahuan lowland creosote and tarbush shrubland restoration along the Salt Basin trough near Van Horn, Culberson County, Texas.): 1. 1. Confirm the treatment segment with Culberson County road staff and photograph the invasive-grass encroached or bare shrubland segment before starting. 2. 2. Hand-clear invasive grass and litter from around existing creosote and tarbush plants with hand tools only, no power equipment. 3. 3. Hand-plant native creosote, tarbush, and mariola container stock at the design spacing to restore the shrubland structure. 4. 4. Water in the new plantings where accessible and photograph the restored segment from the matching before vantage, recording species and count. Done when: before/after photos plus area-cleared record plus species/count record plus GPS

Where

Salt Basin trough, public county road right of way near Wildhorse Flat, Culberson County, TX 79855

Pay

$180 proposed

This packet is not funded yet, so this figure is a proposed price and not money waiting in escrow. If a buyer funds it, approved proof settles that price onchain. If nobody funds it, approved proof earns provable credit toward the work instead of cash. You see which before you claim, never after.

Proof

before/after photos plus area-cleared record plus species/count record plus GPS

This is exactly what gets it approved. Nothing settles without it.

Level

intermediate

Open until

2026-08-27

How this work is done

A documented method, so this packet comes out the same whoever does it. Typically 90–300 minutes. Method of record: Pollinator habitat strip establishment per Xerces Society native forb/grass planting guidelines (site-appropriate regional mix, no-till drill or hand-broadcast seeding) — SDG 15.5 biodiversity; assess→seed→verify

Bring

• regional native forb/grass seed mix (Xerces Society or state pollinator-plan approved) at the planned rate
• no-till drill or hand broadcaster + rake for seed-to-soil contact
• camera + GPS + boundary marking flags/stakes
• gloves + sun protection

Steps

1. 1. ASSESS: photograph the strip/margin as found (bare ground, existing weeds, adjacent crop or pasture edge), record GPS boundary and area, and confirm the native mix + rate + seeding window against the site plan.
2. 2. Prepare the seedbed minimally (light raking of surface crust or weed knock-down already completed by others; no deep tillage) and mark the planting boundary.
3. 3. Broadcast or drill the native forb/grass mix at the planned rate and shallow depth appropriate to the species mix.
4. 4. Ensure seed-to-soil contact (rake-in or roll) and photograph/log the seeded boundary, mix, and rate as the establishment record.
5. 5. VERIFY: return at the plan's check window and photograph emergence across ≥3 representative points along the strip; log estimated native cover and flag bare gaps for reseeding.

If it does not match the plan

• Outside the viable seeding window for the regional mix -> reschedule; do not seed to fail.
• Existing weed pressure needs herbicide knock-down first -> route to a licensed applicator as a separate job before seeding.
• Strip drains directly to a waterway with no buffer -> route to the conservation planner for a setback plan first.

What counts as done

• Seeding record complete: date, native mix, rate, area, GPS boundary, before photos
• Emergence check photos at ≥3 representative points inside the check window
• No pesticide/herbicide applied by this crew during establishment

Proof is measured against these, not judged by taste.