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Upper Separation Creek Prescribed Fire

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LEGAL DESCRIPTION: Township:  19N Range:  89W Section:  various LATITUDE: 41*37’47.18”N LONGITUDE: 107*23’23.56”W PRIMARY UNIT ACRES: 2,265 COUNTY: Carbon HIGH ELEVATION: 8,500 ft. DRAINAGE: Great Divide Basin LOW ELEVATION: 7,500 ft. AVG. ASPECT: Southwest EA NUMBER / NAME: Upper Separation Cr. RX WY-030-06-CX-090 AVG. SLOPE: 10%  <<  Click on the map to view and/or print the full-size map.

Project Summary:  Treatment of this unit would complete a prescribed burn project which was authorized and initiated several years ago. Although the initial treatment was successful in achieving resource objectives, conflicts with ongoing oil and gas operations in the area led to the suspension of operations. Successive attempts to complete the project were constrained by changing weather conditions and narrow seasonal treatment windows. The project area consists of the eastern slopes of 20 Mile Ridge and the basins and draws in and around Separation Creek, and terrain east and north to the crest of Atlantic Rim. The southwestern project boundaries will be located along allotment boundary fence lines. The remaining boundaries lie against pasture fences and along various two track roads and trails. The total project boundary encompasses 4072 acres of mixed deeded and public lands. The primary ignition area is limited to the entirety of the Separation Creek drainage above the 16 Mile/Fillmore grazing allotment fenceline, and includes approximately 2265 public and deeded acres. Identified shrub and aspen stands targeted for treatment comprise approximately 31% of the total project boundary. The prescribed burn is intended to manipulate the vegetation in the project area by treating the predominant shrub and aspen communities. The project would result in a more natural mixture of grasses and shrubs, as well as stratifying successional stages of upland shrub communities measured by overall shrub composition, density, aerial cover, and age class structure. Specifically, the resource objectives of the treatment are: Top kill 50% of shrubs within identified treatment polygons in a mosaic pattern. The acceptable treatment range would lie between 30 and 75% of shrubs within any given polygon burned and/or killed. Treat decadent aspen stands (or decadent portions thereof) with a targeted removal of 30% of individual stands (or decadent and dead portions of them), with an acceptable range of 15 to 50%. Stands of brush that meet the criteria are located throughout the primary treatment area. Based on evaluation of the vegetation types found in the treatment area, the burn objective consists of: Treating (burning and removing) vegetation on approximately 600 acres of mixed public and private lands within the project boundary. The acceptable range of deviation from the objective would be a minimum of 350 acres and a maximum of 900 acres burned. In order to provide more flexibility and a broader treatment window, this project includes both spring and/or fall treatment seasons. Approximately 300 to 500 acres of vegetation remain to be treated. Questions: Please Contact Chris Otto with the Rawlins BLM Field Office at 307-328-4250.