BLM TO BURN PILES IN DRY CREEK BASIN AND McELMO/YELLOW JACKET CREEKS
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DOLORES, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Southwest Colorado Fire and Aviation Management Unit plans to conduct prescribed pile burning in several locations on BLM-administered lands in the Tres Rios Field Office as early as Monday, November 9 as conditions allow, including:
- Dry Creek Basin project area adjacent to the Dry Creek Basin State Wildlife Area approximately 15 miles southwest of Norwood, CO near U29 Road north of State Highway 141. The BLM plans to burn approximately 300 piles of cut tamarisk (salt cedar) on 104 acres.
- McElmo Creek/Yellow Jacket Creek piles within Canyons of the Ancients National Monument along Montezuma County Road G east of the Colorado-Utah border. The BLM plans to burn approximately 300 piles of cut tamarisk and Russian olive on 293 acres.
The objective of both prescribed burn projects is to restore riparian habitat by removing invasive plant species in coordination with Colorado Parks and Wildlife and in accordance with detailed burn plans that outline specific parameters for the burns.
“Our primary constraints for conducting the burns are favorable amounts of snow or rain prior to burning and ideal weather and acceptable smoke dispersal conditions to ensure control of the burn and minimize potential smoke impacts to local communities,” stated Ian Barrett, BLM Fire Management Specialist for the Tres Rios Field Office.
The BLM has obtained required smoke permits from the Colorado State Air Pollution Control Division that identify atmospheric conditions under which the burns can be implemented and will adhere to a detailed burn plan that outlines strict parameters for prescribed burns. Pile burning may take multiple days to complete and will be closely monitored to ensure public safety. While visible at times, most smoke should lift and dissipate during the warmest parts of the day.
For additional information on this prescribed burn, contact the Tres Rios Field Office at (970) 882-1120.
Prescribed fire smoke may affect your health. For more information on smoke-related health effects, please visit: https://www.colorado.gov/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health.
For information on area wildfires and fire restrictions, visit the Durango Interagency Dispatch website http://www.wildcad.net/WCcodrc.htm; and follow us on Twitter @SWD_Fire or Facebook http://www.facebook.com/BLMMontroseFireUnit.
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The Southwest Colorado Fire and Aviation Management Unit provides wildland fire protection support to the Bureau of Land Management Colorado Southwest District, including the Gunnison Field Office, Uncompahgre Field Office, and Tres Rios Field Office in the Colorado counties of Archuleta, Conejos, Delta, Dolores, Gunnison, Hinsdale, La Plata, Mesa, Mineral, Montezuma, Montrose, Ouray, Rio Grande, Saguache, San Juan, and San Miguel.
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.