U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT NEWS RELEASE
Idaho Falls BLM
Idaho Falls BLM
| Contacts: | Sarah Wheeler (208) 524-7550 |
BLM to Continue Prescribed Burns in Pocatello Northeast Bench
POCATELLO, ID – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Idaho Falls District will continue burning slash piles beginning early next week in the Pocatello Northeast bench area. The Pocatello Northeast Fuels project has been ongoing for the past three years and is located approximately a 1/2 mile east of the Satterfield area, just east of Summit Drive. Fire crews will finish burning piles that were not ignited this past fall. Total acreage for the project is approximately 20 acres of previously cut and piled juniper.
“We’ve been working for the past three years to create openings in this continuous Juniper woodland,” said Joel Gosswiller, Assistant Fire Management Officer (AFMO), about the Pocatello Northeast Fuels project. “We hope to reduce fire hazards for the residents in the community and create defensible space in the area, which will ultimately aid in wildland fire suppression activities.”
Due to high moisture levels and low probability of ignition, the risks associated with disposing of these piles are minimal. Smoke may be seen from areas near the burn location, but fire personnel are taking precautions to ensure smoke production will be mitigated to reduce smoke impact to local residents.
On-site monitoring will be conducted to ensure compliance with the previously written burn plan. Firefighters will individually light each pile when favorable weather and fuel conditions are met. For more information about this projects contact BLM District Fire Ecologist, Gregory Mann at 208-478--6374.
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.