BLM revises Bear Creek Fire closure order as rehab work is set to begin
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(DILLON, Mont.) –The Bureau of Land Management’s Dillon Field Office has revised its earlier temporary closure order for the Bear Creek Fire to provide additional access for hunters in the coming winter months.
The order takes effect at 12:01 a.m. Oct. 17 and will re-open T10S, R15W, Section 35 to the public, reducing the closure by 640 acres. At the same time, the field office will keep the rest of the burned area closed to the public until spring to protect land damaged in the fire as rehabilitation efforts proceed.
“One of our biggest concerns in the area is public safety due to hazardous trees, as well as protecting resources which can become fragile after a fire of this intensity,” said Dillon Field Manager Amanda James.
The Dillon Field Office is scheduled to begin emergency stabilization treatments next week.
“These are broadcast seeding projects and it will be important to keep the area protected from additional ground disturbance,” James noted.
The Bear Creek Fire was first reported Aug. 11 and went on to torch nearly 12,000 acres in southwest Montana. The new BLM order complements the ongoing closure on public land administered by the U.S. Forest Service in the area.
A copy of the closure order and a map of the impacted area are available at the Dillon Field Office, 1005 Selway Drive, Dillon, MT 59725. For more information, call (406) 683-8050.
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.