Free firewood permits available at Las Cienegas National Conservation Area
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TUCSON, Ariz. — The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Tucson Field Office is offering free firewood permits for collecting downed wood at the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area (LCNCA), October 20, 2023-March 31, 2024. Permits issued will be valid until the date of expiration listed on the permit and based on wood availability.
Interested persons may obtain a permit and collection area map by emailing a request for a free permit application to mmccabe@blm.gov. Applications will be processed electronically and completed via email.
Collection of dead and downed mesquite will be confined to the BLM lands north of Yucca Ash Farm Road, in the vegetation management area. Downed mesquite has been collected into rows and may be cut into smaller pieces for easier transport. Permits will continue to be issued until the wood removal target is reached. Each permit allows for collection of up to two cords of downed wood. Issuance of a permit does not necessarily guarantee the availability of dead and downed wood.
This wood collection area is adjacent to both private and State land parcels. BLM-issued permits do not allow for collection of any wood products on these lands. We remind all permit holders to be respectful of private landowner rights.
“As a good neighbor and member of the community, we offer the collection of wood from downed trees which were removed as part of our efforts to improve wildlife corridors in the area,” said BLM Tucson Field Manager Colleen Dingman.
Mesquite firewood is available because of the BLM’s ongoing grassland restoration program at the LCNCA. Invasive mesquite trees are downed to encourage growth of native grasses and improve wildlife habitat for wildlife, such as the pronghorn antelope.
The 45,000-acre LCNCA is located 45 miles southeast of Tucson in Pima and Santa Cruz counties. The conservation area protects a landscape of rolling, oak-studded, grasslands and lush riparian areas that contain several of the rarest vegetative habitat types in the Southwest.
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.