For Release: September 29, 2005
Contact: Jeff Fontana, BLM, (530) 252-5332
Leona Rodreick, Lassen National Forest, (530) 252-6605

Agencies Begin Fall Prescribed Burning

The Bureau of Land Management, Lassen Volcanic National Park and the Lassen National Forest are preparing to implement their fall prescribed burning programs. "Burning will begin as soon as weather conditions will ensure safe and efficient burning conditions," commented Darla Nearing, co-center manager for the Susanville Interagency Fire Center (SIFC).

The BLM's Alturas Field Office will conduct a 250-acre burn in the Fall River Millls area. The Hogback project is designed to provide wildfire protection for Big Eddy Estates and the Fall River area. The field office also plans to conduct the Muck Valley Two burn, a 41-acre project west of Bieber. It is designed to improve forest health.

The BLM's Surprise Field Office in Cedarville will complete a 15-acre burn project in the Fandango Pass area northwest of Cedarville to reduce a build-up of hazardous fuels and improve forest health. BLM crews will assist firefighters from the Bureau of Indian Affairs with debris pile burning projects near Fort Bidwell, and complete debris pile burn projects in the Coopersmith Hills area about 15 miles south of Eagleville. Crews also will complete small broadcast burns at High Rock Canyon about 60 miles southeast of Cedarville.

The Lassen Volcanic National Park will be working with the Lassen National Forest's Hat Creek Ranger District to burn 850 acres near Manzanita Lake along the northern part of the park as part of the Stonehenge Prescribed fire project.

Approximately 2,517 acres of burning will occur on the Lassen National Forest's Eagle Lake Ranger District. The burning will consist of burning understory, and piles. The ranger district is planning six projects: Cal Mountain, east of Poison Lake off Highway 44; Crater Underburn, north of Antelope Lookout; Gordon Underburn, northeast of Logan Mountain; T-Rex Underburn, near Logan Spring; Leaky Louie Underburn, southwest of Bogard; and Grays Underburn, south of Poison Lake in the Grays Flat area.

The Almanor Ranger District plans to burn 1,000 to 1,250 acres of debris piles in Plumas, Lassen, Tehama, and Butte counties. Additionally, several underburn projects will be initiated or resuming this fall.

Approximately 150 acres of underburning are planned within the Prattville Defensible Fuel Profile Zone (DFPZ) Project on the west side of Lake Almanor. Also, crews will conduct a 244-acre underburn at the Warner DFPZ Project in the upper Feather River drainage north of Chester, and a 50-acre underburn at the Middle Ridge Project area along Ponderosa Way in Antelope Creek drainage.

The district also plans to initiate underburn projects at the Cherry Hill DFPZ Project east/southeast of Jonesville in upper Butte Creek canyon and at the Cold Spring Fuel Break Project in southeastern Tehama County on the south rim of Deer Creek.

The Hat Creek Ranger District plans to burn brush, ground cover and debris piles on approximately 1,910 acres across the district. The Stonehenge Burn, will encompass 1,080 of forest land and 850 acres within Lassen Volcanic National Park. Other prescribed burning will take place in project areas along the Hat Creek Rim, near North Coble (500 acres); near the Pittville Highway around Blacks Ridge in the Little Valley area; and in the Day Bench area (330 acres).

"These areas have been mechanically thinned, which will reduce smoke. Burning will take place on permissive burn days," said John Stauffer, fire management officer for the Hat Creek Ranger District. Additionally, the agencies will coordinate with industrial and agency landowners in the areas surrounding the prescribed burn locations on burn days. This collaboration limits the amount of smoke in the air at any one time," he explained.

Stauffer said all affected air quality districts have been notified. Current smoke management plans will be on file for each of the projects to comply with local, state and federal air quality standards and guidelines. Information on impacts to roads and trails will be available from the Almanor District Fire Management Office.

The objectives of prescribed burning programs are to:

• Reduce natural and management activity created fuels.
• Reduce the threat of catastrophic fires.
• Enhance forage opportunities for wildlife by increasing new growth.

The BLM, Lassen Volcanic National Park and Lassen National Forest are committed to returning your public lands to a more natural fire resistant state, through the combined use of mechanical treatment and prescribed fire. For more information contact the fire management staff at your local ranger station, park service or BLM office.

-SIFC-

Susanville Interagency Fire Center
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection - Lassen National Forest
Bureau of Land Management - Lassen Volcanic National Park