Butte BLM to finish prescribed burn near Townsend
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(BUTTE, Mont.) – Weather permitting, the Bureau of Land Management’s Butte Field Office will wrap up its prescribed burn on just over 400 acres in the Iron Mask area west of Townsend over the weekend and into next week.
The project is designed to improve wildlife habitat in a grassland area where heavy conifer encroachment is occurring.
The prescribed burns will be implemented and closely monitored by fire managers and firefighters from the BLM. Smoke may be visible in the air near Townsend as the crews conduct their work.
The proposed treatments are part of a larger national wildfire reduction strategy guided by President Trump’s Executive Order 13855 – Promoting Active Management of America’s Forests, Rangelands, and Other Federal Lands to Improve Conditions and Reduce Wildfire Risk, as well as Secretary’s Order 3372 – Reducing Wildfire Risks on Department of the Interior Land through Active Management.
The two orders direct Department of the Interior and Department of Agriculture agencies to implement policies to improve forest and rangeland management practices by reducing hazardous fuel loads, mitigating fire risk and ensuring the safety and stability of local communities through active management on forests and rangelands.
For more information, contact the Butte Field Office at (406) 533-7600.
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.