Single Publication

December 12, 2022

BLM winter prescribed pile burning planned in Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area

MONTROSE, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Uncompahgre Field Office plans to conduct prescribed burning of slash piles this winter within the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area. This project will assist in the removal of invasive species (tamarisk and Russian olive) and reduce hazardous fuel loading. Pile burning will occur once favorable conditions allow. Burn unit is located along the Gunnison River, 4 miles east of Delta, Colorado.

“The goal of the project is to remove invasive species to regenerate native plant communities in riparian areas and reduce hazardous fuels which pose a wildfire risk to the public and firefighter safety,” said Cameron Shaughnessy, BLM Fire Management Specialist.

The prescribed pile burning may take multiple days to complete once initiated and will be monitored throughout the process to ensure public safety. While smoke may be visible in the area at times, most of the smoke will lift and dissipate during the warmest parts of the day. A detailed burn plan outlines the parameters for prescribed burns.

The BLM obtained smoke permits from the Colorado State Air Pollution Control Division, which identify atmospheric conditions under which the burns can be implemented. Prescribed fire smoke may affect your health. For more information, visit https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health.

For information on prescribed burns, visit the Southwest District BLM Prescribed Fire InciWeb page (https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7852/) or follow us on Twitter (https://twitter.com/SWD_Fire) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/BLMMontroseFireUnit).

 -BLM-

The Southwest Colorado BLM District covers the BLM Gunnison Field Office, Uncompahgre Field Office, and Tres Rios Field Office in the Colorado counties of Archuleta, Conejos, Delta, Dolores, Gunnison, Hinsdale, La Plata, Mesa, Mineral, Montezuma, Montrose, Ouray, Rio Grande, Saguache, San Juan, and San Miguel.

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 11 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 $111 billion in economic output across the country in fiscal year 2020—more than any other agency in the Department of the Interior. These activities supported more than 498,000 jobs.