| Contacts: | Barb Timock, Public Affairs Officer USFS, 719-553-1415, Cass Cairns, Public Affairs Officer BLM, 719-269-8553 |
U.S. Forest Service and BLM Begin Fire restrictions (09-16-10)
PUEBLO, Colo., Sept. 16, 2010 – Extremely dry conditions have prompted the U.S. Forest Service – Pike National Forest and the Bureau of Land Management Royal Gorge Field Office to implement Stage 1 fire restrictions beginning 6 p.m. tonight until conditions improve. Both the BLM and USFS orders restrict fire and smoking on federal public lands to protect public health and safety.
The lack of precipitation in the last month, coupled with recent windy days, has led to forest fuels drying faster than normal for this time of year and rapidly increasing the fire danger. These factors, combined with weather forecasts that show little relief have necessitated the need for fire restrictions until conditions moderate.
Stage 1 fire restrictions apply to all National Forest System lands administered by the Pike National Forest located within Clear Creek, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson, Park, and Teller counties in Colorado. These restrictions also apply to all BLM lands within Boulder, El Paso, Fremont, Gilpin, Larimer, Park, and Teller counties.
Prohibitions include building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire or open fire of any type in undeveloped areas. This includes, but is a not limited to, charcoal grills, hibachis, and coal or wood burning stoves.
Smoking is only permitted in an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.
Visitors to the Pike National Forest and lands administered by the Royal Gorge Field Office, within the previously stated counties, are allowed to have campfires in developed campgrounds and picnic grounds, and only in agency-provided manufactured fire grates and grills. The orders allow cooking stoves and other appliances fueled by liquid petroleum or bottled fuel that are equipped with a valve, which allows the operator to turn the flame on or off.
BLM Stage 1 restrictions also prohibit all fireworks activity and use on BLM lands. Possession and use of fireworks are always prohibited on National Forest System lands.
The full text of the Order for the Pike National Forest is posted on the web at: http://fs.usda.gov/goto/psicc.
The full text of the Order for the Royal Gorge Field Office is posted at www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/rgfo.html.
For more information contact your local Pike National Forest District Offices: South Platte Ranger District, 303-275-5610; South Park Ranger District, 719-836-2031; Pikes Peak Ranger District, 719-636-1602, or the BLM Royal Gorge Field Office, 719-269-8500.
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.
3028 E Main Street Canon City, CO 81212