BLM to conduct prescribed fire in Sublette and Lincoln Counties
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PINEDALE, Wyo. –Bureau of Land Management High Desert District fire crews will conduct prescribed fire operations between May and July as part of a multi-year project. Fire operations will begin only when conditions are favorable for a safe and effective burn on public lands administered by the Pinedale Field Office.
The Burdick prescribed fire project is located approximately 13 miles west of La Barge, Wyoming on the east face of Miller Mountain, south of the La Barge Creek drainage. There are 470 acres of slash and standing conifer targeted to burn on the Burdick prescribed fire project.
This prescribed fire is part of the Wyoming Range Mule Deer Habitat Project which was developed as part of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s Wyoming Range Mule Deer Initiative that was completed in 2011. The purpose of the project is to reduce hazardous fuels and improve vegetation conditions in crucial mule deer winter range, transition range, and fawning ranges. The vegetation conditions are improved by using prescribed fires to reduce conifer where it is encroaching on native aspen stands and to stimulate new aspen growth.
Fire crews will implement a number of burning tactics to start and control the burn. Smoke will be visible to the public during the operations. Fire crews will remain on scene and monitor the burn areas afterward to ensure safety until the fire is out.
Prescribed fire is a beneficial management tool used to replicate natural wildfire. Many land management agencies conduct prescribed fire to ensure the overall improvement of land, vegetation, and wildlife. It can also help return the ecosystem to its natural composition and healthiest function.
For more information, please contact Mark Randall at 307-367-5350 or visit the Pinedale Field Office located at 1625 West Pine Street in Pinedale, Wyoming.
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.