U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT NEWS RELEASE
| Contacts: | David Boyd (970) 319-4130 |
Fire officials urge hunters to be cautious with fire this fall
RIFLE, Colo. — Fire officials are reminding hunters and other autumn recreationists to be extremely careful with fire this fall.
Although the fire season has been relatively quiet this summer in western Colorado, conditions are now lining up for increased fire activity. Grasses and other vegetation have dried with the end of the growing season and the approach of fall. Moisture in the shrubs and trees is also low given a lack of recent moisture. And a large number of people are headed to the woods for early hunting seasons.
“Fire season is definitely not over this year, so we are asking folks to be particularly careful out there,” said Upper Colorado River Fire Management Officer Bill Hahnenberg.
Early morning campfires are common in hunting camps to take away the pre-dawn chill. Fire officials remind hunters to build fires in established fire rings in areas cleared of vegetation – and to ensure those fires are out cold before leaving camp.
“We are finding a number of campfires in hunting camps that are still burning while folks are hunting and the camp empty, particularly in the higher country in Eagle and Summit counties. Please take that extra step and make sure your fire is dead out before you leave camp,” Hahnenberg said.
In general no broad fire restrictions are in place, but hunters and others are urged to call the Forest Service or BLM office in the area they plan to visit for any special restrictions or information.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.