| Contacts: | Erin Curtis, Public Information Officer, (970) 244-3097 |
BLM Proposes Plan to Reduce Wildfire Threat Near Paonia (04-30-10)
MONTROSE, Colo. — The BLM Uncompahgre Field Office is seeking public comment on a proposed plan to reduce the threat of wildfire near Paonia.
The plan was developed to address the high fire danger that exists on BLM-managed land near Paonia adjacent to private residences. These areas are marked by stands of extremely thick juniper with a cheatgrass understory, creating conditions in which a wildfire could rapidly spread.
The BLM has been working with community members in Paonia to design a plan to reduce the wildfire threat since 2006. Scoping meetings and field trips were held at that time. Since then, the BLM has spent a great deal of time considering alternatives and developing this proposed plan. One issue was determining the best way to deal with cheatgrass, as herbicide is the one effective tool to eradicate it. With the presence of organic farms in the area, the use of repeated, large-scale aerial herbicide spraying may not be possible.
“Community members and BLM staff members worked together to come up with this plan,” said Barb Sharrow, Field Manager for the BLM Uncompahgre Field Office. “Juniper stands with cheatgrass understory make extremely volatile and fast moving fires. We want to take what action we can to lessen the impacts of this type of fire.”
The draft Environmental Analysis for the plan is available for public review and comment on the Uncompahgre Field Office website at http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/BLM_Information/nepa/ufo.html (view NEPA number DOI-BLM-CO-S050-2008-0001). Also available for review on the website is the Monitoring Summary from the nearby Stucker Mesa Burn, where the BLM is studying some ideas suggested during public meetings in 2006.
Written comments on the draft EA are most helpful if received by June 1, 2010. Send comments to: Ken Holsinger, Bureau of Land Management, 2465 South Townsend Avenue, Montrose, CO 81401, 970-240-5389, ken_holsinger@co.blm.gov.
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.
2465 South Townsend Avenue Montrose, CO 81401