Prescribed Fire Planned for Galiuro Mountains Project will improve grassland habitat at Muleshoe Ranch
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SAFFORD, Ariz. - The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Safford Field Office and Gila District Fire Management Office will conduct a multiple day prescribed burn in the southern Galiuro Mountains between April 15 and June 30, pending appropriate weather conditions. The Rockhouse Burn will cover approximately 10,962 acres of BLM, state, and private land in the Muleshoe Ranch Cooperative Management Area, located 40 miles northeast of Tucson. The BLM will announce specific dates in advance of the operation.
Prescribed fires are intended to mimic natural fire frequency and intensity. They improve the health of the ecosystem by stimulating growth of desirable grasses, reducing invasive shrub species and managing fuel loads so that natural fires are less destructive.
The Muleshoe Ranch Cooperative Management Area contains 55,000 acres of desert grasslands and seven permanently flowing waterways under the stewardship of the BLM, Coronado National Forest and The Nature Conservancy. The three organizations work together to conserve and enhance the ecosystems in the area while providing recreation opportunities such as hunting, hiking and horseback riding. The area is located in Cochise and Graham counties.
The burn is part of a larger effort that includes 19,000 acres within the Safford Ranger District of the Coronado National Forest. Large prescribed burns have been conducted in the Muleshoe Ranch Cooperative Management Area since 1995.
“The Muleshoe Ranch has some impressive natural values, and these fire treatments are part of a long-term combined effort to conserve the area,” said BLM Safford Field Office Manager Scott Cooke.
Muleshoe Ranch area roads listed below will be closed from 6 p.m. the day before the first burn period to 6 a.m. the day after the last burn period is completed.
Specific road closures: ï‚·
- Jackson Cabin Road, from the Muleshoe Ranch Headquarters to Jackson Cabin
Fire crews will monitor the burned area during and after all prescribed burns. Prescribed burn information will be available the day of the burn at the Safford Field office.
For more information about the BLM’s efforts, contact Public Affairs Specialist Adam Milnor at 520-258- 7223. For more information about The Nature Conservancy, contact Tana Kappel at 520-547- 3432.
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.