| Contacts: | David Boyd, Fire Information Officer, 970 319-4130 |
Fire-related road closures on Roan Plateau end Friday (07-14-10)
RIFLE, Colo. – With the 370-acre Water Creek Fire now in monitor status, all fire-related road closures will be lifted on the Roan Plateau beginning Friday, July 16.
Fire officials will continue to monitor the fire, but it is not expected to become active or grow. Some smoke from smoldering within the burned area may be visible occasionally.
The lightning-ignited fire was first reported on June 19 on the Roan Plateau, about 10 miles north of Rifle. Firefighters actively managed the fire, keeping it within established perimeters while allowing it to play its natural role in the environment, including clearing large amounts of dead and downed timber and stimulating new forest growth.
Firefighters will monitor the fire from the air and on-site while on patrol, but there is no longer personnel assigned to the fire.
The roads re-opening Friday are BLM roads 8004 (Cook Ridge), 8006 (Northwater), 8008 (Long Ridge), and 8009.
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.
2815 H Road Grand Junction, CO 81506