Dillon BLM to conduct prescribed burns in Beaverhead, Madison counties
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(DILLON, Mont.) – The Bureau of Land Management Dillon Field Office is planning several prescribed burns in Beaverhead and Madison counties during the upcoming spring months.
The goal of the burn treatments is to reduce conifer expansion into sagebrush/grassland habitat, restore existing aspen, and increase biodiversity. The burns are planned for the following areas:
* East Grasshopper, about 20 miles west of Dillon. The burn areas of about 445 acres are adjacent to the west and east forks of Dyce Creek.
* Muddy Creek, about 15 miles northwest of Lima. The burn areas are adjacent to the McNinch Creek drainage and are about 925 acres.
* Centennial, about 30 miles east of Lima. The burn areas of about 1,800 acres are adjacent to the Bean and Bear Creek drainages.
* Middle Ruby, about 12 miles south of Alder. The burn areas are adjacent to the drainages in Davey, Idaho, and Greenhorn creeks, consisting of approximately 2,000 acres in size.
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 range lands.
The prescribed burns will be implemented and closely monitored by fire managers from the BLM, the Forest Service and the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.
For more information on the burns, contact Joe Sampson at the Dillon Field Office at (406) 683-8000.
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.