BLM West Desert District announces fiscal year 2018 fuels projects
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SALT LAKE CITY—The Bureau of Land Management West Desert District has scheduled seven fuels management projects for fiscal year 2018. With over 7.7 million acres of land to manage in Utah’s West Desert, the fuels program is taking actions to reduce hazardous fuels and risks to local communities, as well as improving land health by creating fire-resilient landscapes and restoring fire-adapted ecosystems.
“This year, we are taking on our most ambitious fuels projects in recent history,” said BLM West Desert Fire Zone-Fuels Program Manager Erik Valdez. “Our goal is to keep the West Desert’s natural landscapes, wildlife habitats, and public safe from wildfire.”
In fiscal year 2017, the fuels program treated 18,000 acres across the district, restoring sagebrush to improve Greater Sage-grouse habitat and reducing potential for catastrophic wildfire in communities located in the Wildland Urban Interface. This fiscal year, the program plans to treat 48,000 acres of public land. The proposed fuels management projects can be viewed at: https://go.usa.gov/xnTMc.
For additional information, please contact Paul Corrigan at (801) 977-4300. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to leave a message or question with the above individual. The FRS is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Replies are provided during normal business hours.
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.