BLM to conduct prescribed burns at the Lake Mathews Reserve
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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management and the California Conservation Corps Inland Empire Crew 5 will conduct prescribed burns from May 7-9, Tuesday through Thursday, at the Lake Mathews Reserve, as part of the regional Wildland Fire Cause and Origin Determination course.
Smoke may be seen from the cities of Riverside and Corona in Riverside County. Non-native grasses will be burned. The removal of the non-native grasses would benefit the endangered Stephens' kangaroo rat.
The prescribed burn is a part of investigator training, providing students with a live fire demonstration, so they can see how the fire burns through the fuels under the existing conditions. The BLM has established plots, which will be burned each morning for the course's afternoon field exercises.
Partnerships are vital to managing sustainable, working public lands.
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.