| Contacts: | Lynn Barclay, 970-826-5096 |
BLM to conduct controlled burn in western Moffat County (03-23-12)
Moffat County, Colo. –The Bureau of Land Management White River Field Office is planning to burn 525 acres in Moffat County starting Tuesday, March 27th. The Badger Flat project is located approximately 12 miles northwest of Elk Springs on Moffat County Road 14. The project is anticipated to last up to four days depending on weather and fuel conditions.
The purpose of the prescribed burn is to restore suitable habitat for Northern Sage Grouse by reducing pinyon/juniper woodland encroachment into sagebrush communities. It will also reduce the safety risk to responding firefighters by decreasing the amount of live and dead fuel accumulation which will lower intensity in the event of a wildfire.
Smoke will be visible from local county roads during burning operations. Weather and fuel-moisture conditions will be closely monitored, and the burn will only be initiated if conditions are ideal for safe and effective fires. Each prescribed burn conducted by the Northwest Colorado Fire Management Unit has a detailed fire plan developed in advance, along with appropriate smoke permits obtained from the State of Colorado. For more information please contact the White River Field Office at 970-878-3800
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.
220 E. Market Meeker, CO 81641