High Desert District
| Contacts: | Shelley Gregory | |||
| 307-315-0612 |
BLM Closely Monitoring Ferris Mountain Wildfire
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) High Desert District is closely monitoring the Ferris Mountain wildfire approximately 40 miles north of Rawlins, Wyo. in the Ferris Mountain Wilderness Study Area.
The wildfire was first reported on Sept. 21 and is a suspected holdover from a lightning strike in the area nine days earlier. Unseasonably hot and dry conditions allowed the fire to smolder and it has burned an estimated quarter acre of mixed conifers in steep, rocky terrain on the south side of Ferris Mountain southeast of Young’s Pass.
The BLM has decided not to pursue active suppression of the wildfire due to the difficulty of providing for firefighter safety in the difficult terrain but will continue to monitor the incident on a daily basis. A management plan has been prepared in the event the wildfire increases in complexity and the BLM is prepared to use point protection if resources are threatened.
Hunters and other outdoor recreationists are urged to use caution or avoid the area entirely since wildfire behavior can change suddenly and fire spread is unpredictable if high winds develop.
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