BLM Issues Fire Prohibitions for Federal Lands near Gilmore Trail
Organization
BLM Office:
Media Contact:
FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Bureau of Land Management’s Eastern Interior Field Office has issued a Fire Prevention Order, effective at 12:01 a.m. today, prohibiting campfires, explosives and fireworks on federal lands in a fire-prone area of black spruce off Gilmore Trail north of Fairbanks.
In recent years, firefighters and law enforcement personnel have found numerous unattended bonfires in the area, leading to concerns that an escaped fire could threaten local residences as well as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) facility on Gilmore Creek. The continued need for the Fire Prevention Order will be revisited at the end of the fire season.
The BLM is also evaluating more long-term options for reducing wildfire hazards by selectively removing vegetation and/or modifying the supplemental rules that specify allowable activities on the area’s federal lands. This summer the BLM intends to hold a community meeting to solicit public input on the issue.
More information on the Fire Prevention Order (including a map) is available at http://akfireinfo.com or by contacting BLM fire management officer Tom St. Clair at 474-2226.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.