BLM Plans Prescribed Fire on Pelona Mountain in Catron County
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The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Socorro Field Office, in cooperation with the New Mexico State Land Office, plans to conduct a prescribed fire in east-central Catron County between April 17 and May 26, weather permitting. The goal is to burn between 15,000-20,000 acres of lands administered by the BLM and the New Mexico State Land Office. The target of the burn are limbs and branches created from tree thinning projects in thick pinon pine, juniper, and ponderosa pine.
The work will take place within the 33,650-acre Concilio Well Unit, and is part of the Pelona Mountain Landscape Project. Project objectives are to reduce the risk of high-intensity wildfire, enhance wildlife habitat, and improve grasslands, watershed, and ecosystem health.
Active ignition will take 4-7 days, with some smoke visible in the burn areas for up to 2 weeks after ignition operations are completed. Firefighters will monitor the burn until there is no visible smoke. Smoke from the burn may be visible from Datil, as well as Highways 12 and 60, but should not adversely impact travel. However, motorists are advised to use caution at night in the Plains of San Augustine, where smoke may settle and cause reduced visibility.
For information about this, and other prescribed burn operations, as well as wildland fire updates please visit www.nmfireinfo.com. Questions about the Pelona Mountain prescribed burn should be directed to the BLM’s Socorro Field Office at (575) 835-0412.
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.