Prescribed fire planned for Sierrita Mountains west of Green Valley
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Tucson, Ariz. – The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Tucson Field Office and Gila District Fire Management Office, in cooperation with the Altar Valley Conservation Alliance and the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, will conduct a multiple-day prescribed burn in the Sierrita Mountains, pending appropriate weather and seasonal conditions, within the months of April through June 2020. The Keystone Peak Burn will cover approximately 2,886 acres of BLM, State, and private land in the Sierrita Mountains located 10 miles west of Green Valley.
Prescribed fires are intended to mimic natural fire frequency and intensity. They support Secretarial Order 3372 in that they improve the health of the land by stimulating growth of desirable grasses, reducing invasive plants and managing fuel loads so that natural fires are less destructive.
The Altar Valley contains 610,000 acres of desert grasslands, which are some of the most biologically rich and ecologically threatened plant and animal communities in the world. The Altar Valley Conservation Alliance brings together private ranchers and federal, state, and local agencies together to conserve and enhance the ecosystems in the area while providing opportunities for collaborative conservation stewardship. The area is in the largest unfragmented watershed in Pima county.
“The Altar Valley contains impressive natural values,” said Tucson Field Manager Jayme Lopez. “These fire treatments are part of a long-term collaborative conservation stewardship effort to improve the area’s native grasslands into the future.”
Fire crews will monitor the burned area during and after all prescribed burns. For more information, contact Public Affairs Specialist June Lowery, 520-258-7223. Prescribed burn information will be available during burn periods at the Tucson Field Office and on InciWeb.
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.