<<  Back to High Desert District Rx Fire

Pole Creek Prescribed Fire

---

LEGAL DESCRIPTION: Township:  25N Range:  Range:  116W 117W Sections:    LATITUDE: 42* 09’ 04” N LONGITUDE: 110* 41’ 23” W PRIMARY UNIT ACRES: 6,000 COUNTY: Lincoln HIGH ELEVATION: 9,200 ft. DRAINAGE: Pole Creek LOW ELEVATION: 7,400 ft. AVG. ASPECT: South EA NUMBER / NAME:   AVG. SLOPE: 30% <<  Click on the map to view and/or print the full-size map.

Planned Completion Date: September, 2010 Project Summary: The Bureau of Land Management Kemmerer Field Office ((BLM-KFO), in cooperation with the United State Forest Service, Kemmerer Ranger District (USFS-KRD), is proposing the Pole Creek prescribed burn. This burn will be a coordinated effort between the USFS and BLM which would include burning both BLM and USFS land in the Pole Creek area and may or may not be burned together. Each agency will complete a separate NEPA document, but will combine together with one burn plan. This burn is being done in an effort to stimulate regeneration of desired plant communities such as aspen, mountain shrubs, and grasses. The objectives of this prescribed burn are to promote a more natural vegetative community characterized by a diversity of age classes of upland woody shrub species, including aspen, serviceberry, snowberry, bitterbrush, and sagebrush. The goal is to target approximately 6,000 acres of BLM, Private, and State Land for treatment in a mosaic pattern of burned and unburned areas over the landscape. To accomplish our burn objectives, we will target approximately 30-60% of the burnable fuel in a mosaic pattern over the project area. Objectives: Several objectives have been developed for the Pole Creek Prescribed Burn. Improve the age class diversity of sagebrush by removing 30-60% of the sagebrush in a mosaic pattern. Improve the diversity of other mountain shrub species such as service berry and snowberry by removing 30-60 of these communities in a mosaic pattern as well. Target and treat as much aspen within the project area as feasible. Target and aerial ignite bug killed conifer encroached aspen. All true conifer stands within the burn unit have a significant bug kill component, and fire will be allowed to burn up to 80% of these stands. < 50% post-burn livestock utilization on upland vegetation following two growing seasons rest (consistent with allotment standards) To improve ecological conditions in these allotments, based on natural vegetative succession concepts, prescribed fire is the proposed method of treatment. Prescribed fire will be used when burn windows are appropriate to meet treatment area objectives, which will occur in the fall season. This treatment, combined with improved livestock management, is expected to benefit many wildlife species, as well as livestock operators through increased habitat diversity and forage availability. For more information, please contact: Richard Putnam at 307-352-0236.