Lewistown Field Office
| Contacts: | Karly Krausz 406-538-1086 | |||
Stage I Fire Restrictions Ordered for Northcentral Montana
Due to the continuing hot and dry weather conditions, Stage 1 fire restrictions will go into effect within the Lewistown Fire Restrictions Area, beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, September 9, 2011.
These restrictions apply to all state, private, tribal and federal lands in Hill, Blaine, Phillips, Valley, Roosevelt, Chouteau, Judith Basin, Fergus, Petroleum and Golden Valley counties.
The U.S. Forest Service managed Big and Little Snowy Mountains will also be under Stage 1 fire restrictions as well as all of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge.
Additionally, these restrictions include all lands within Fort Belknap and Rocky Boy Reservations in Blaine, Hill and Chouteau counties.
- Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire or campfire, except within an established, metal fire ring in a developed recreation site.
Approved campfire locations:
- Hill County – Bear Paw Lake Fishing Assess Site (FAS), Fresno Tailwater FAS, Fresno Reservoir, and Beaver Creek County Park
- Blaine County – Faber Reservoir FAS; Hideaway and Stafford Ferry campsites along the Upper Missouri National Wild and Scenic River
- Phillips County – Bjornberg Bridge FAS, Cole Ponds FAS, Nelson Reservoir, Buffington Picnic Area, Horse Corrals, Camp Creek Campground, Montana Gulch Campground, Alkali Creek FAS, and Fourchette Bay
- Valley County – Duck Creek FAS, Fort Peck Dredge Cut Pond FAS, Glasgow Base Pond FAS, School Trust FAS, Paulo Reservoir, Downstream Campground, Floodplain Recreation Area, West Ten and Trailer Campground, Shelter 3 & 4 Recreation Area, Pines Recreation Area, Bone Trail Recreation Area, and Duck Creek Recreation Area
- Roosevelt County – Lewis & Clark FAS
- Chouteau County – all BLM boat camps along the Upper Missouri National Wild and Scenic River
- Fergus County – Woodhawk (Upper & Lower), McGarry Bar, and Kipp Recreation Area along the Upper Missouri National Wild and Scenic River
- Petroleum County – Crooked Creek Reservoir
- Golden Valley – Deadman’s Basin Reservoir FAS
- Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, 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.
Exemptions to the above prohibitions are allowed for persons using a fire solely fueled by liquid petroleum or LPG; for a federal, state, or local officer, or member of an organized law enforcement, rescue, or firefighting force in the performance of an official duty; or persons with a permit or written authorization allowing the otherwise prohibited act or omission.
Even the smallest spark has the potential to cause significant damage, so please do your part to prevent wildfires: crush cigarettes dead out and never leave a campfire unattended. Take precautions while recreating on public lands by always carrying a shovel, bucket and fire extinguisher. Make sure your campfire is dead out before leaving your campsite.
The Lewistown Area Restrictions Group includes representatives from state, county, local, tribal and federal firefighting entities and coordinates fire restrictions on federal, state and private lands in the Lewistown Fire Restrictions Area, covering north-central and extreme northeastern Montana.
For more information, please contact the Bureau of Land Management at 406-538-1086; C.M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge at 538-8706; Lewis and Clark National Forest at 406-791-7700; Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation at 406-538-7789; your local office of Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks or your local fire department or sheriff’s office.
For up-to-date fire restrictions information, please go to www.firerestrictions.org and click on the Lewistown Area link.
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.
Lewistown Field Office 920 NE Main Lewistown, MT 59457