Prescribed burn planned for Sandoval County

Organization:

Bureau of Land Management

BLM Office:

Rio Puerco Field Office

Media Contact:

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Beginning Jan. 24 thru April 30, the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Rio Puerco Field Office will conduct a prescribed burn at the Perea Nature Area on approximately 20 acres of salt cedar and Russian olive tree piles.

The project is located along the Perea Nature Trail, which is within the Rio Salado Riparian area, approximately one mile south of San Ysidro off Hwy 550, Township 15N, Range 1E Section 12.  Prescribed fire signs will be posted along Hwy 550 during the day of the burn.  The smoke may be visible from Hwy 550.

The goal of this project is to employ management-ignited prescribed fire to reduce hazardous fuel loadings that could contribute to high intensity crown fire under the right conditions.  Historic uses and active fire suppression have interrupted the natural fire regime in this fire-dependent ecosystem.  This has resulted in hazardous fuel accumulations and increased stand densities, which contribute to the decline of wildlife habitat and the potential of catastrophic wildfire. 

For additional information about this project, please contact BLM Rio Puerco Field Office Prescribed Fire Specialist Pete Rivera at 505-761-8943.  You can also follow implementation of this project on NMFireInfo.com, on Twitter @nmfireinfo or on Facebook.com/nmfireinfo.


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.