BLM plans prescribed burn in March for Cerro del Aire
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Taos, N.M. – Beginning March 15, the Bureau of Land Management Taos Field Office plans to conduct a 1,000-acre prescribed burn at Cerro del Aire (or Wind Mountain), northeast of Tres Piedras, N.M. The planned burn operations are within the Río Grande del Norte National Monument.
This operation is weather-dependent and will take up to 30 days to complete. Smoke from the burn may be visible from surrounding communities, as well as those traveling on U.S. Highways 285 and 64. Motorists should use caution by reducing speed and watching for fire personnel and equipment.
The purpose of this prescribed burn is to remove slash from recent thinning projects. This action will help to decrease the risk of damage from wildfires and loss to adjacent property. Other goals are to improve watershed and habitat conditions, increase the health, vigor and competitive ability of the native plant community, and reduce the density of exotic, invasive and introduced plant species.
Prior to and during all prescribed fires, fire managers will coordinate with the New Mexico Environment Department and follow all air quality regulations. People who are either susceptible to or affected by COVID-19 may have health conditions that also make them vulnerable to smoke exposure. For more information about smoke and protecting your health, please visit https://nmfireinfo.com/smoke-management/.
The BLM encourages public land users to continue to be careful with fire. For more information on this prescribed burn and the BLM fire and hazardous fuels reduction program, please contact Kyle Sahd at 575-751-4767. You can also follow the implementation of this project on NMFireInfo.com, on Twitter @nmfireinfo, or facebook.com/nmfireinfo.
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.