< All Announcements

BLM to burn slash piles in the Bighorn Mountains

Wyoming
High Plains DO
Buffalo FO
Media Contact

BUFFALO, Wyo. – The Bureau of Land Management Buffalo Field Office plans to burn slash piles this fall and winter on BLM-administered public lands in the following areas of western Johnson County.

On Gardner Mountain, the BLM plans to burn approximately 83 acres of hand piles resulting from fuels reduction projects to restore curl-leaf mahogany stands, completed in partnership with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

In the Sawmill Creek area off Hazelton and Slip roads, the BLM will target approximately 550 acres of hand piles left over from a forest health and fuels reduction project.

In the Billy Creek area, the BLM provides a public slash disposal site to local homeowners. The site is for non-commercial use and can accommodate small material such as branches and small trees. The BLM burns the pile every winter. As a reminder to users, excavated stumps are not allowed in the pile because they are difficult to maneuver and burn. In this area, the BLM will target 297 acres of hand piles resulting from forest health and fuels reductions projects.

Burning may continue through April 2025 as conditions allow. All prescribed burn projects are conducted in accordance with approved burn plans that specify weather, smoke dispersal, and fuel moisture conditions. Burning is contingent on fuel moisture and weather meeting appropriate treatment conditions on site. Smoke may be visible from the surrounding areas during burning operations and days following as slash materials consume.

For more information, please contact the Buffalo Field Office front desk at 307-684-1100 or Jacob McClure at 307-684-1064.

-BLM-

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.