The San Juan National Forest is seeking public input on a proposal for prescribed fire and oak mastication in the Dolores District ponderosa pine zone, from the northwest corner of “The Glade” to the southeast corner of Haycamp Mesa.
The Dolores Prescribed Fire Pine Ecosystem Restoration Project would continue and expand prescribed fire activities, and conduct prescribed burns when weather and fuel conditions are low-to-moderate intensity.
The purpose is to continue efforts to restore and maintain pine ecosystems in areas where fire historically played an important role, and reduce the risk of large, high-severity wildfire in ponderosa pine.
Within the 240,000-acre project area, the district plans to burn 2,000 acres to 5,000 acres annually, which is similar to the current program. As many as 10,000 acres, if conditions were favorable, could be burned annually.
Burns will be ignited by qualified Forest Service personnel according to a burn plan that describes specific tactics, objectives, resources, weather parameters, smoke management, desired effects and burn strategies. Ignition would take place when conditions are suitable to safely achieve the desired low-intensity or moderate-intensity surface fires.
In addition, oak mastication would occur in forests with extensive thickets of middle-aged oak, where wildlife habitat could be improved.
A project-scope document and map are available online at www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=51633.
The 30-day scoping-comment period will be June 2 to July 2.
Written comments can be mailed or hand-delivered to Dolores Public Lands Office, 29211 Highway 184, Dolores, CO, 81323, or faxed to 882-6841.
For questions or to provide comments, contact Division 5 fire management officer Patrick Seekins at 882-6836.
fstone@durangoherald.com
