Firefighters planning spring prescribed firesĀ
Release Date: Mar 14, 2017
PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Kate Jerman, USFS Public Affairs Specialist, 970-945-3271
David Boyd, BLM Public Affairs Specialist, 970-876-9008
Firefighters planning spring prescribed fires
Glenwood Springs, Colorado - (March 13, 2017) – The Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire and Aviation Management Unit (UCR) is preparing to conduct several prescribed burns on White River National Forest and Bureau of Land Management lands in Eagle, Garfield, Pitkin and Rio Blanco counties, weather and conditions permitting.
Prescribed burns are implemented to provide benefits to improve habitat for big game and other native wildlife and help clear overcrowded undergrowth that poses a wildfire risk.
Last year, firefighters with the UCR burned over 4,000 acres of prescribed burn and slash piles on White River National Forest and BLM lands including the 902-acre Hunter Creek prescribed burn outside of Aspen, the 464-acre Avalanche prescribed burn outside of Carbondale, the 175-acre Sheep Creek prescribed burn and the 2,260-acre Miller Creek prescribed burn outside of Meeker.
“Prescribed burning is a smart way to approach land management and wildlife habitat restoration,” stated Scott Fitzwilliams, Forest Supervisor. “The impacts are twofold; it is cost-effective and provides for a healthier forest in the long run with improved habitat conditions for wildlife and fuel-reduction for nearby communities.”
This year’s potential prescribed burn locations include:
- Avalanche Prescribed Burn, Aspen-Sopris Ranger District: nine miles south of Carbondale, east of Hwy 133, approximately 500 acres
- Cattle Creek Prescribed Burn, Aspen-Sopris Ranger District: seven miles north of Basalt, northeast of Hwy 82, approximately 1,000 acres
- Aldrich Prescribed Burn, Blanco Ranger District: 15 miles northeast of Meeker, and two miles northeast of Yellowjacket Pass, approximately 700 acres
- Miller Creek Prescribed Burn, Blanco Ranger District: 12 miles east of Meeker approximately 1,000 acres
- Battlements Prescribed Burn, Rifle Ranger District: nine miles southwest of Parachute, six miles east of De Beque, approximately 1,500 acres
- West Divide Prescribed Burn, Rifle Ranger District and BLM Colorado River Valley Field Office: 14 miles south of Silt, 2,000 acres (1,200 FS and 800 BLM)
- Sheep Gulch Prescribed Burn, BLM Colorado River Valley Field Office: four miles north of Gypsum, 240 acres
The White River National Forest and the BLM have partnered with Colorado Parks and Wildlife on these projects to improve forage regeneration for wildlife. Prescribed burns are targeted to improve large game winter and transition range forage. Nutrient-rich new growth can often be seen sprouting as soon as 10 days after a prescribed fire. A secondary benefit of these projects will be the reduction of fuel loads in the mountain shrub and oak brush vegetation in areas that are overgrown.
Burn plans for prescribed burn activities are prepared and approved months in advance by fuel specialists. Each plan prescribes specific weather and smoke dispersion conditions that must be in place in order to proceed. Prescribed fires may be ignited with the help of helicopters or by hand crews.
The public is reminded: do not call 911 or emergency services even though smoke may be visible. Most of the smoke will dissipate during the day, although some nighttime smoke may remain in valley bottoms as temperatures drop. Any carry-over smoke is expected to be of short term occurrence.
Those who are sensitive to smoke are encouraged to call the White River National Forest Supervisor’s Office or nearby District Office for additional information. For more information on how prescribed fire smoke may affect your health, please visit: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health.
For information about prescribed burn activities please call local Forest or BLM offices, follow the White River National Forest on Twitter @WhiteRiverNews, or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/WhiteRiverNF/.
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