BLM to reduce wildland fire risk for Case Mountain giant sequoias
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THREE RIVERS, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plans to conduct pile burn operations of up to 1,000 piles of downed hazard trees, branches and understory brush at Case Mountain Extensive Recreation Management Area, southeast of Three Rivers, Tulare County. The burn operations will start as early as Thursday, Jan. 12, and continue periodically until spring. Burning will take place only when weather and fuel moisture allow for safe and successful operations. Smoke may be visible in the Three Rivers area.
“The prescribed burn is part of a multi-year effort to reduce fuels in the Bureau’s only giant sequoia groves to strategically thin trees and remove needles, branches and brush from the forest floor, which can feed flames to the treetops.” said Bakersfield Field Manager Gabriel Garcia. “This prescribed fire will help increase protection of the wildland-urban interface for the town of Three Rivers in Tulare County and improve landscape health.”
Partnerships are vital to managing sustainable, working public lands. The prescribed burn is being done as part of a CAL FIRE grant and a joint effort of the BLM, CAL FIRE, Tulare County Resource Conservation District, local Tribes, private landowners and technical experts. The burn is being closely coordinated with the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.
The Case Mountain Forest Health Project is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of cap-and-trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy and improving public health and the environment – particularly in disadvantaged communities. For more information, visit the California Climate Investments website at: www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov.
Case Mountain encompasses approximately 18,500 acres of BLM-managed public lands and supports many sensitive plants and animals, important riverbank ecosystems, areas of cultural significance, and a 400-acre Giant Sequoia Complex with six distinct giant sequoia groves.
The BLM is committed to keeping public landscapes healthy and productive. Updates will be provided by BLM using #RxBurn through its social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter. For more information, please call the BLM Bakersfield Field Office at 661-391-6000.
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.