Prescribed burns scheduled for Southwest Colorado

MONTROSE, CO – Interagency Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service crews from the Montrose Interagency Fire Management Unit plan to conduct prescribed burns within the next several weeks. The eight areas slated for burning are:

Government Springs: 300 acres, located 10 miles south of Montrose
Log Hill: 300 acres, located 8 miles north of Ridgway
Dave Wood: 300 acres, located 12 miles southwest of Montrose
Escalante: 300 acres, located 18 miles southwest of Delta
Mailbox Park: 380 acres, located 9 miles northwest of Norwood and 8 miles east of Naturita
Busted Arm: 100 acres, located 10 miles south of Norwood
Hanks Valley: 500 acres, located 16 miles northeast of Norwood
Basin: 110 acres, located 20 miles north of Norwood

Fuels being treated in these areas range from pinyon-juniper to dead surface fuels to ponderosa pine with a mountain shrub understory. The main objective of these prescribed fires is to reduce dense vegetation to lessen the chance for catastrophic wildfires. These burns will also improve wildlife habitat, regenerate new growth, as well as to discourage pine beetle reinfestation in affected areas.

Weather conditions will be closely monitored, and burns will only be initiated if conditions are ideal for safe and effective fires. Each prescribed burn conducted by the agencies has a detailed fire plan developed in advance, along with appropriate smoke permits obtained from 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.

###