Prescribed Burn Planned for McKinley and Sandoval Counties
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Starting Thursday, December 1, 2016, weather permitting, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will begin conducting a prescribed burn that includes approximately 300 acres within the Ignacio Chavez and Chamisa Wilderness Study Areas.
The area, known as Mesa Chivato, is comprised of ponderosa pine, piñon, and juniper, and is west of Highway 550, located approximately 15 miles southwest of San Luis, New Mexico. Historic uses and active fire suppression have interrupted the natural fire cycle in this fire dependent ecosystem. This has resulted in hazardous fuel accumulations and increased stand densities, which contribute to the decline of wildlife habitat and the potential of catastrophic wildfire.
The goal of this project is to reduce stand densities, ladder fuels, and hazardous fuel loadings that under the right conditions could contribute to a high intensity crown fire.
Signs will be posted along BLM Road 1103 during the days of the burn. Smoke may be visible from Highway 550.
For additional information about this prescribed burn, please contact Fire Management Officer Todd Richards at 505-761-8769 or Supervisory Range Technician Pete Rivera at 505-761-8943.
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.