The Dolores Ranger District, San Juan National Forest is planning to conduct several prescribed burns starting in mid-May.
Burning operations will take place over multiple days when weather and fuel conditions are favorable. Both hand and aerial ignition methods may be utilized, and continue throughout the summer and into fall based on conditions.
Project areas identified for burns are:
Lake Canyon, 2,700 acres, located 12 miles east of Dove Creek, west of Forest Service Road 504 and adjacent to FSR 216 and 509.Boggy Draw, 6,127 acres along FSR 526, 527, 528 and 529.Haycamp Mesa, 3,400 acres, east and south of FSR 556 and north of FSR 557.Burning operations will be conducted by Forest Service personnel, assisted by fire resources from cooperating agencies. During burning operations, smoke will likely be visible from areas around Mancos, Dolores, Dove Creek, Cortez, and Colorado Highway 491 between Dove Creek and Pleasant View.
Smoke may settle into low lying valleys, and the Dolores River Canyon overnight. Smoke monitoring will be conducted, and ignitions will be scheduled to minimize smoke impacts to communities.
This effort will reduce hazardous ground fuels, lessen the risk of unplanned large scale wildfire, help restore ponderosa pine ecosystems, and improve wildlife habitat. Prescribed burning operations will begin only when weather, fuels and smoke parameters are met.
For more information, contact Matt Traynham at 882-6838.
Maps of the prescribed burn units can be found on Inciweb https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6288/.
Prescribed fire smoke may affect your health. For more information, visit www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health.