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KREMMLING, Colo. –  The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM’s) Kremmling Field Office is seeking public input on an environmental assessment for reduction of hazardous fuel loads (primarily related to beetle-killed trees) on up to 3,490 acres on BLM-managed public land in five project areas within Grand County.

Fuels reduction treatments could be completed by hand or with the use of mechanical equipment. The removal of hazardous fuels adjacent to private and other public lands and infrastructure will help conserve and restore resilient forest landscapes in Grand County, while reducing threat from catastrophic fire to adjacent communities.

“We welcome and encourage robust public participation in this process as we consider potential management actions impacting our public lands,” said Acting Kremmling Field Office Manager Ryan Kay.

Project areas include:

• The Blacktail project area, consisting of a large parcel (1,394 acres) of BLM-managed public lands west of Kremmling bordered by private land, the Radium State Wildlife Area, and the Routt National Forest;
• The Cow Creek project area (164 acres), located south of Parshall on the east side of the Williams Fork River;
• The Little HO project area (674 acres), part of a larger parcel of BLM-managed land adjacent to private land and the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests east of Granby;
• The McQueary project area (738 acres), surrounded by private property, with the southernmost unit also bordering the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests northeast of Hot Sulphur Springs; and
• The San Toy project area (520 acres), comprised of two units southwest of Kremmling between the Colorado River and Trough Road. The western unit is part of a larger parcel of BLM-managed land that borders private property, and the eastern unit is completely surrounded by private property.

Hazard fuels removal would focus on dead trees on BLM-managed land along roadways, trails, campsites, values at risk, and around other infrastructure. All dead trees that are still standing, fallen, jackstrawed, or otherwise hung up that are within 125 feet from the edge of a roadway, trail, or campground would be cut and piled to be burned later. The San Toy project area would also include removal of live ladder fuels around communications towers, creating shaded fuel breaks to reduce risk of fire damage to that critical infrastructure.

Public scoping comments must be received by August 21 at https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2020454/510. The most helpful comments at this phase of the project would help refine the proposed action or identify additional issues for analysis, other alternatives that should be considered, or any past, present, or future projects that should be considered for cumulative effects analysis. Questions can be addressed to Maribeth Pecotte at mpecotte@blm.gov.

                                                                -BLM-