Bureau of Land Management to conduct prescribed fire operations in Mono County
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LEE VINING, Calif. – Wildland fire crews from the Bureau of Land Management Bishop Field Office are planning winter pile burning operations with interagency partners for areas northeast and southeast of Lee Vining in Mono County, when weather and air quality conditions permit. Slash piles composed of limbs, branches and trees will be burned across 65 acres of public land in the Bridgeport Canyon area north of Mono Lake. If conditions allow, piles across 200 acres in the Sagehen Summit area, southeast of Mono Lake, will also be burned.
During burn operations, smoke may be visible from Lee Vining, Mono City, Conway Ranch Estates, Conway Summit, June Mountain, Bridgeport and U.S. Highway 395. Fire crews request that the public avoid congregating on or near roadways to observe operations, which can obstruct fire equipment and emergency vehicles.
These prescribed burns are part of a larger strategy to improve sagebrush habitat conditions in Mono County. Trees have been cut and piled in historically open sagebrush areas to increase ecosystem resiliency and restore habitat for several species, including sage grouse and migratory mule deer. Prescribed burning also helps reduce hazardous fuels, moderate wildland fire intensity, and increase firefighter and public safety.
All prescribed fire operations are conducted in close coordination with the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District. Updates will be provided by BLM California through its social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter.
For more information, please call Heather Stone at the Bishop Field Office, 760-872-5000.
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.