BLM seeks comment on Grand County hazardous tree removal plan
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KREMMLING — The Bureau of Land Management has released an environmental assessment for public comment analyzing its proposal to remove hazardous trees on BLM-administered lands in Grand County.
Grand County has been one of the most affected areas of Colorado’s mountain pine beetle epidemic, resulting in thousands of beetle-killed trees that pose a significant threat to public safety and transportation.
“Experts predict that over the next 10 years, an average of 100,000 trees will fall daily as a result of this pine beetle epidemic in Colorado,” said Kremmling Field Manager Stephanie Odell. “This EA is an important step to getting work done on the ground to reduce the risk from this huge potential public health hazard on BLM-managed lands.”
The project area includes approximately 9,150 acres of forested lands in Grand County administered by the BLM. Under the proposal, all dead, disease-infested and other hazard trees within 125 feet of BLM roads, trails and other infrastructure would be removed. The EA also identifies potential areas available for large-scale mechanical salvage and fuel reduction and potential areas where fire could be used to treat slash piles resulting from mechanical treatment.
The EA is available online at www.blm.gov/co/kfo. Comments should be sent to kfo_webmail@blm.gov by June 12, 2014.
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
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.