BLM Plans Indian Creek Prescribed Burn
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GUNNISON, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management’s Gunnison Field Office plans to begin a prescribed burn in the Indian Creek fuels treatment project area as early as Tuesday, September 22 or as conditions allow. The prescribed burn will treat about 125 acres of sage and ponderosa pine.
The prescribed burn, located 21 miles southwest of Gunnison, will reduce hazardous fuels adjacent to private development and improve wildlife habitat for elk and deer. The Indian Creek prescribed burn also reintroduces fire to a fire adapted ecosystem and will help restore healthy forests, species diversity and natural processes to the landscape.
An environmental analysis and detailed burn plan outline the parameters for this prescribed burn.
“The burn plan contains specific criteria regarding weather conditions and air quality that must be met to help ensure control of the burn as well as to minimize the potential smoke impacts to local communities,” said Randy Chappell, Fire Management Officer.
The BLM has obtained a Smoke Permit which identifies atmospheric conditions under which the prescribed burn can be implemented from the Colorado State Air Pollution Control Division for this project.
Once initiated, this prescribed burn may take up to three days to complete. Fire crews will be onsite during the burn – as well as monitor the burn area following completion of the burn - to ensure public safety. While smoke may be visible in the area at times during the burn, most of the smoke will lift and dissipate during the warmest part of the day. Smoke may be visible in the area for several days after the burn is completed as vegetation in the interior of the burn continues to smolder.
For information on wildfires and restrictions in the area, call the Southwest District Fire Management Information line (970.240.1070), visit the MIFMU website (http://gacc.nifc.gov/rmcc/dispatch_centers/r2mtc/), or follow us on Twitter (https://twitter.com/SWD_Fire) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/BLMMontroseFireUnit).
The Southwest District Fire Management program covers the BLM Colorado’s Southwest District and the Gunnison Field Office (BLM), the Uncompahgre Field Office (BLM), and Tres Rios Field Office (BLM) in the Colorado counties of Archuleta, Conejos, Delta, Dolores, Gunnison, Hinsdale, La Plata, Mesa, Mineral, Montezuma, Montrose, Ouray, Rio Grande, Saguache, San Juan and San Miguel.
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.