| Contacts: | Denise Adamic, BLM Public Affairs Specialist (719)269-8553 |
BLM conducts spring prescribed fires near Canon City (03-01-12)
CANON CITY, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management’s Royal Gorge Field Office (RGFO) will conduct prescribed fires 15 miles north of Canon City.
The prescribed fires will occur throughout March and April when the weather and fuels conditions allow.
“Prescribed fire is a land management tool for decreasing hazardous fuels and improving forest health,” said Keith Berger, Royal Gorge Field Manager. “By minimizing the amount of hazardous fuels on public lands, we can lessen the risk of intense, large scale fires and in turn reduce risks to firefighters and the public.”
The RGFO plans to burn 275 acres of BLM-managed lands in the Deerhaven area and 250 acres in the Trail Gulch area. Both areas consist of ponderosa pine, oak brush and grasses.
Land managers conduct annual prescribed fires in the spring and fall throughout Colorado. Last year, the RGFO treated approximately 350 acres. Before conducting a prescribed fire, the BLM develops a detailed plan outlining the goals of the burn, optimum weather conditions, key contacts, and any necessary firefighting resources. The BLM must also obtain smoke permits from the State of Colorado.
For more information about these scheduled prescribed fires, please contact Tyler Webb, BLM Fire Management Specialist, 719-269-8560.
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