Prescribed burns planned this winter along the Colorado River

MOAB, Utah – The Bureau of Land Management plans to conduct prescribed burning of slash piles along the Colorado River along state Routes 128 and 279, and in the Kane Creek area near the Amasa Back parking lot. Slash-burning is a form of fire mitigation designed to keep public lands healthy and is expected to reduce wildfire risk for adjacent campgrounds, restore riparian ecosystem health, and enhance wildlife habitat.

“Our objective is to protect our local communities from catastrophic wildfire by managing our landscapes pro-actively” said Leanard Garcia, Fire Management Officer.  “Often times, the most desirable weather conditions needed to conduct these projects occur with little notice.”

BLM fire and fuel specialists will carefully review existing weather and burn conditions to help ensure successful and safe operations as well as good smoke dispersion.  Smoke and flames may be visible from adjacent highways or in local communities.  Light smoke may remain visible from the surrounding area for several days after the burn occurs.

Prescribed burns will be posted on https://utahfireinfobox.com. Local radio stations will be notified the day before burning begins.

For more information about prescribed burning or fire prevention, please contact Jason Kirks at the Canyon Country District Office (435) 259-2100.  Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339 to ask a question or leave a message.  The FRS is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and responses 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. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The agency’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. Diverse activities authorized on these lands generated $96 billion in sales of goods and services throughout the American economy in fiscal year 2017. These activities supported more than 468,000 jobs.

-BLM-

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