BLM to oversee prescribed fire in Black Forest
Event Description
UKIAH, Calif. — The Bureau of Land Management Ukiah Field Office, in cooperation with CAL FIRE Lake Napa Unit, the Tribal EcoResotration Alliance (TERA), Mendocino National Forest and Lake County District 5, plans to conduct prescribed fire operations in the Black Forest along Soda Bay Road, on the northeast side of Mount Konocti in Kelseyville, Lake County. Pile burn operations are scheduled to start April 14 and may continue periodically through May 30. Burning will take place only when weather and fuel moisture allow for safe and successful burning.
The prescribed fire is part of a shaded fuel break initiated in 2008 to protect communities. The project will remove hazardous fuels that could feed fires within this wildland-urban interface, where public lands meet urban development. Approximately 36 acres of undergrowth and small trees have been hand-thinned by firefighters and piled over the last three years. The operation aims to burn approximately 500 piles covering the entire shaded fuel break.
The Black Forest, a pristine Douglas fir forest, encompasses approximately 242 acres of BLM-managed public lands and supports many plants and species as well as valuable cultural resources and an important watershed
The BLM is committed to keeping public landscapes healthy and productive. More information is available from the BLM Ukiah Field Office at 707-468-4000.
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.