Butte Field Office
| Contacts: | David Abrams 406-533-7617 |
BLM Plans Burns Near Melrose, Townsend And Wise River
Residents in the Butte, Melrose, Divide, Radersburg, Townsend and Wise River areas may see smoke at times over the next few months as the Bureau of Land Management conducts prescribed burns, weather permitting.
The first project is Southwest Highlands, about seven miles northeast of Melrose and 20 miles south of Butte. The objective is to maintain or enhance vegetation structure and diversity to mimic the natural fire regime in fire-dependent grassland, shrub lands and dry forest communities.
Another project area is in the South Elkhorns, about five miles southeast of Radersburg. Previously-harvested units in Johnny’s Gulch will be burned to promote forest health and reduce fuels.
The last project area is Deep Creek, about 10 miles northwest of Wise River. Burning will reduce machine piles created by the Deep Creek Pine Beetle Project.
For more information on the projects, contact John Thompson or Charles Tuss at the BLM’s Butte Field Office at (406) 533-7600.
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. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. In Fiscal Year 2012, activities on public lands generated $4.6 billion in revenue, much of which was shared with the States where the activities occurred. In addition, public lands contributed more than $112 billion to the U.S. economy and helped support more than 500,000 jobs.
Butte Field Office 106 N. Parkmont Butte, MT 59701