If there was one positive aspect due to the lack of railroads in the region, was it delayed the appearance of invasive non-native plant species. The Russian Thistle, best known too many as the iconic “tumbling tumbleweed” did not make its appearance in Lassen County until 1914. The first plants were spotted along the Fernley & Lassen Railroad right-of-way. For the next two years, major efforts were undertaken to eradicate it, but it was a lost cause. The tumbleweed was followed next by an even more hazardous plant cheat grass. After the 2017 fire that spread from Doyle to almost Pyramid Lake, in many of the burned areas is covered with a thick growth of cheat grass, thereby choking out native plants.