BLM to conduct prescribed fire at Bodie Hills for wildfire prevention
BISHOP, Calif. — The Bureau of Land Management Bishop Field Office plans to conduct prescribed fire operations as soon as Nov. 1 in areas of the Bodie Hills, northeast of Lee Vining, in Mono County. Prescribed burning helps to reduce hazardous fuels, moderate the potential negative effects of wildland fire, and increase firefighter and public safety.
Pile-burn operations will only be conducted when weather and fuel moistures allow for safe and successful burning and may continue periodically through the fall and winter.
“The BLM is committed to keeping public lands healthy and productive; these prescribed burns are part of a larger strategy to improve sagebrush habitat conditions throughout the Bodie Hills and reduce treatment related fuels on the landscape,” said Bishop Field Manager Sherri Lisius. “Trees have been cut and piled in historically open sagebrush areas to increase ecosystem resiliency and restore habitat for several species, including sage grouse and migratory mule deer.”
Slash piles, composed of limbs, branches and trees will be burned on approximately 1,500-acres of BLM-managed public lands in the Sinnamon Cut and Rancheria Springs areas. During burn operations, smoke may be visible from locations throughout the Mono Basin, including Lee Vining, Mono City, Conway Ranch Estates, U.S. Route 395, State Route 120 south of Mono Lake, and State Route 167 north of Mono Lake. All prescribed fire operations are conducted in close coordination with the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District.
The Bodie Hills are in central eastern California near the Nevada border. This vast landscape includes rounded volcanic mountains and colorful alpine meadows, lakes, and streams. Because the region serves as the transition zone between the Sierra Nevada mountains and the western edge of the Great Basin, it hosts a unique diversity of plant and animal species. More information is available from the BLM Bishop Field Office at 760-872-5000. Updates will be provided by the BLM through the BLM California Fire Information Facebook and X.
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.