Lewistown Field Office
| Contacts: | Craig Flentie 406-538-1943 |
BLM Plans Prescribed Burn Northeast of Winnett
As weather conditions allow, the Bureau of Land Management will soon begin prescribed burning in a project area called Tin Can Hill Unit B, about 15 miles northeast of Winnett, Montana (an area commonly referred to as the Musselshell Breaks).
The prescribed burning will occur March through June this spring, but will only be initiated when conditions are ideal for a safe and effective fire.
“While the duration of this burning will be short term (three to five days) it could create considerable smoke and we just want area residents to be aware of the prescribed burning. We’ll also contact local law enforcement and county fire firefighting forces prior to starting,” according to Josh Barta, a BLM fuels specialist in Lewistown.
The prescribed burning is designed to reduce hazardous fuel buildup, reduce the threat of catastrophic wildlife, reduce stand density, reduce stand encroachment on sage and grass land, and reduce the probability of a stand replacing wildfire event. A detailed fire plan for this prescribed burn has been developed and appropriate smoke permits have been obtained from the State of Montana.
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 Street Lewistown, MT 59457