For Immediate Release: Sept. 2, 2004
Contact: Winslow Robertson, 970-244-3112
 
 

Prescribed fire scheduled for Deer Pen area

A prescribed fire, located entirely on public land approximately 20 miles north of Gypsum near the community of Burns, is scheduled for sometime during the week of Sept. 6 in the Deer Pen area.  Interagency BLM – Forest Service crews from the Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Unit (UCRIFMU) will conduct the burn, ensuring that the fire stays within identified boundaries.  The Deer Pen burn will involve about 500 acres of primarily juniper and sagebrush.

The main objective of the prescribed fire is to reduce dense vegetation to lessen the chance for catastrophic wildfires.  The burn will also improve wildlife habitat and increase forage for livestock.

Weather conditions will be closely monitored, and the burn will only be initiated if conditions are ideal for a safe and effective fire.  Each prescribed burn conducted by the UCRIFMU has a detailed fire plan developed in advance, along with appropriate smoke permits obtained from both county and state agencies.  Prescribed fires are one of many tools public land managers use to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires while improving wildlife habitat and overall land health.

-BLM-