| Contacts: | David Boyd, BLM Public Affairs Specialist, 970 876-9008 |
Fuel reduction project begins Monday north of Carbondale (07-29-10)
SILT, Colo. – Work to help protect communities north of Carbondale from wildfire and improve firefighter and public safety will begin Monday as part of a cooperative effort between the Bureau of Land Management and the Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District.
A crew will begin reducing hazardous fuels on about 27 acres of BLM land west of the intersections of Garfield County Roads 103 and 112.
“A primary goal is to reduce the risk of a wildfire burning from public lands onto private land and threatening property in the area,” said BLM Fuels Specialist Ody Anderson.
The crew will reduce “ladder fuels,” which can carry a fire into the canopy, by thinning smaller trees and limbing larger trees to 3-4 feet from the ground. Dead and downed material will be cut and piled as well. Cut material will be piled for later burning in the winter. Work is expected to continue through Aug 20.
“Fire danger in the communities north of Carbondale has always worried me,” said Carbondale Fire Chief Ron Leach. “The work BLM is doing is very valuable to the residents in this area, and it is a very good example for residents to follow to mitigate fire danger on their own property.”
The North Carbondale Fuels Reduction Project is part of the recently approved Missouri Heights Community Wide Protection Plan, a cooperative effort among the Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District, Basalt Rural Fire Protection District, Garfield County, Eagle County, Colorado State Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service.
The BLM manages more land - over 245 million acres - than any other Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. 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.
2300 River Frontage Road Silt, CO 81652