Vale District Bureau of Land Management Implementing Seasonal Prescribed Burns and Continuing Juniper Treatments
By Garrett Christensen on Friday, October 14th, 2022 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories
VALE, OR– (Release from the Vale District Bureau of Land Management) As temperatures drop and fall precipitation arrives, the Vale District Bureau of Land Management is implementing seasonal prescribed fire projects, and continuing juniper treatments across the Malheur and Baker field offices.
Pre-planned prescribed fire projects may take place at specific locations (such as the Castle Rock Area, Chukar Park, Birch Creek, Mormon Basin, Lookout Mountain, and Plano Road Area) any time between October and early May 2023.
Fire is an essential, natural process, having shaped the landscape for thousands of years, releasing, and recycling nutrients from vegetation, duff, and soil layers, improving the overall health of plants and animals. Prescribed fire is an important component of natural resource management and part of the comprehensive fire management program on the Vale District BLM.
Burn operations are conducted within specific parameters, including air quality, temperature, relative humidity, fuel moisture, wind speed and other factors. Actual project ignition depends upon site-specific weather and fuel conditions.
Prescribed fire is an important component of natural resource management and part of the comprehensive fire management program on the Vale District BLM. It is used to reduces buildup of hazardous fuels, improving wildlife habitat and promoting long-term rangeland ecosystem integrity and sustainability by reducing the risk of high-severity wildland fire.
Each burn operation represents many months of planning and preparation to reduce buildup of hazardous fuels.
Priority will be placed on burning within Lookout Mountain Area, then Northwest Malheur Project, moving to the Baker Resource Area when funding and smoke windows become available.
Malheur Field Office
Prescribed Fire Treatment Areas include: Castle Rock Road – 375 acres of hand pile, 1⁄2 mile N of Beulah Reservoir; River Spur Road – 172 acres of hand pile, 6 miles NW of Beulah Reservoir; Hat Butte – 284 acres of machine pile, 9 miles NW of Beulah Reservoir; Chukar Park – One debris pile, 6 miles NW of Juntura; Birch Creek – multiple debris piles, 28 miles NW of Jordan Valley.
Contract Machine Piling Treatment Areas include: Hat Butte – 284 acres of machine pile, 9 miles NW of Beulah Reservoir
Baker Field Office
Prescribed Fire treatment areas include: Rooster Combs – 190 acres of machine pile burning located in Rooster combs off Clarks Creek Road, approximately 22 miles southeast of Baker City; Spirit Hill PCT – 30 acres of hand piles, located in Mormon Basin, approximately 30 miles southeast Baker City; Spirit Hill – 490 acres of machine piles, located in Mormon Basin, approximately 30 miles southeast Baker City; South Bridgeport – 324 acres of machine piles, located west of Mormon Basin, approximately 30 miles southeast Baker City; Lookout Mountain – 15 acres of machine piles, located on the Lookout Mountain Road near Bassar Diggins, 31 miles SE of Baker City, Shirttail – 173 acres of hand pile, located near the Plano Road and the Manning Creek Road by Durkee.
Contract Machine Piling Treatment Areas include: South Bridgeport – 324 acres of machine piles, located west of Mormon Basin, approximately 30 miles southeast Baker City; Woods Gulch Unit – 60 acres, located near Burnt River Canyon 3 miles W of Durkee.
Contract Cutting and Piling Treatment Areas include: Lost Basin – 603 acres of cutting and 172 acres of hand piling, located 3.5 miles SW of Durkee; Gold Hill – 2,054 acres of cutting 379 acres of hand piling, located 3.5 miles SE of Durkee.
For additional information, please contact Larisa Bogardus, 541-523-1407 or lbogardus@blm.gov
