News Release

For Release:  July 17, 2007             
Contact:  Garth Jeffers (530) 279-6101 or Jeff Fontana (530) 252-5332
CA-N-07-66

BLM Cedarville Crews Busy with Fires, Hazardous Fuels Projects

The Bureau of Land Management’s Surprise Field Office is continuing to support fire fighting efforts across the west, with 22 personnel currently on fire assignments throughout Northern California and in Arizona. These assignments include overhead positions, a fire engine and the fuels crew.

Surprise Field Office BLM fire personnel have responded to 11 fire and medical calls to date in 2007.  Wildfires have burned about 60 acres on public and private land this year in the areas protected by the Surprise Field Office fire program.  The office has responded to seven off-district engine and overhead assignments including assignments to Northern California, Arizona and Florida.

The field office fuels crew has accomplished about 1,200 acres of manual cuttting projects and prescribed burning this year.  The crew has reduced hazardous fuels cutting juniper and brush, creating fuel breaks, working on aspen restoration projects, and assisting with sage grouse habitat restoration and timber stand improvement.

Projects have been in Surprise Valley, the Coppersmith Hills,  Fandango area,  Barrel Springs, Massacre Ranch and the Hays Canyon Range in Nevada.   Assistance has also come from the Devils Garden Conservation Camp crews.

The fuels and fire crew also assisted wildlife refuges in Minnesota and South Dakota with prescribed burning last spring.

-BLM-

Surprise Field Office     602 Cressler St.     Cedarville, CA  96114