| Contacts: | Denise Adamic, BLM (719) 269-8553 |
Fire restrictions reduced for BLM lands along Colorado's Front Range
CAÑON CITY, Colo. – Due to recent rains and cooler temperatures, the BLM Royal Gorge Field Office is reducing its fire restrictions from Stage 2 to Stage 1. This decision is based on current fire danger and the predicted weather conditions for Colorado’s Front Range.
Stage 1 restrictions take effect today, July 11, and apply to BLM-managed lands in the counties of Boulder, Chaffee, Custer, El Paso, Fremont, Gilpin, Huerfano, Jefferson, Lake, Larimer, Las Animas, Lincoln, Logan, Morgan, Park, Pueblo, Sedgwick, Teller, Washington, Weld, and Yuma.
“The recent monsoonal flow has eased the fire danger enough to reduce restrictions, but everyone needs to remember the fire danger remains high,” said Keith Berger, Field Manager. “If a weather trend of higher temperatures with low precipitation returns, we could move back into Stage 2 restrictions.”
Under Stage 1 fire restrictions, the following activities are not allowed:
• Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire, any type of charcoal fueled broiler or open fire of any type; EXCEPT in BLM-developed campgrounds and picnic areas, and only in BLM-provided, manufactured fire grates and grills.
• Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, in 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.
• Operating or using any internal combustion engine without a spark arresting device properly installed, maintained and in effective working order
The following is allowed on all BLM lands:
• Using cooking stoves, lanterns and other appliances fueled by liquid petroleum or bottled fuels that are equipped with an on-off valve for the flame.
Additionally, fireworks are not allowed at any time on any public lands managed by the BLM, U.S. Forest Service or the National Park Service.
For more information about fire restrictions on other lands in your area, please contact the Sheriff for the county in which you live.
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 East Main Street Canon City, CO 81212