High Desert District
| Contacts: | Tyson Finnicum 307-212-7363 | |||
| Shelley Gregory 307-315-0612 |
BLM Urges Caution During Fire Season
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) High Desert District (HDD) is urging the public to exercise caution and be fire safe while recreating on public lands this season.
“Due to wet spring conditions and record snowpack in the mountains, we will definitely see an abundance of forage in the area,” HDD Assistant Fire Management Officer for Fuels Richard Putnam stated. “Though it’s wet and green out right now, the additional grass is going to increase the chances of wildfires when things dry up.”
Wyoming has already experienced wildfire this spring despite the moisture. The Ghost Town wildfire 20 miles east of Rawlins burned .82 acres and destroyed structures associated with the historic Walcott town site and sheep ranch.
With the summer holidays approaching, the BLM would like to remind the public that the use of fireworks is illegal on public lands at all times and that off-highway vehicles must be equipped with Society of Automotive Engineers approved spark arresters.
As weather and vegetation become increasingly dry, campfire safety is also a priority. Always maintain campfires within fire rings and never leave a fire unattended. Drown all embers with water and stir with a shovel to ensure fires are properly extinguished.
Please report wildfires immediately to the Rawlins Interagency Dispatch at 1-800-295-9953. For more information regarding fire conditions, please contact Putnam at 307-352-0236 or rputnam@blm.gov.
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.
High Desert District 280 Highway 191 North Rock Springs WY 82901