| Contacts: | Erin Curtis, Public Affairs Officer-BLM, 970.244.3097 |
Smoke from Prescribed Fires May be Visible in Olathe, Delta and Montrose Today
Montrose, Colo. – The Montrose Interagency Fire Management Unit (MIFMU) will conduct a prescribed burn today that could cause smoke to be visible to residents in Delta, Olathe and Montrose.
Crews from the Bureau of Land Management Uncompahgre Field Office and the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests will be burn a clearcut area on Divide Road northwest of Transfer Road.
The purpose of the project is to reduce slash from an old logging operation and stimulate aspen regeneration. The burn will also protect the Tri-State powerline that brings electricity from the Nucla Powerplant to Montrose. Smoke will be visible throughout the day. Smoke may drift across Divide Road during the burn. Fire staff will be stationed on the road to help out with traffic.
Fire officials will continue to conduct prescribed burns in June as conditions allow. Burns will only be conducted under favorable weather and fuel conditions that maintain adequate control and that will achieve burn objectives.
For additional information, contact Dan Huisjen at 970-240-5339.
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