CANON CITY, Colo - The Bureau of Land Management is preparing to conduct two prescribed burns at Deer Haven and Trail Gulch this fall.
Deer Haven is located 15 miles northwest of Cañon City, south of High Park Road, and west of County Road 69 in northern Fremont County. Approximately 107 acres of BLM land will be treated to reduce accumulated hazardous fuel and improve wildlife habitat. Targeted fuels include ponderosa pine, Gambel oak, decadent grasses and other ground fuel that has accumulated since previous treatments.
Trail Gulch is located 15 miles northwest of Cañon City between Shelf Road and High Park Road in northern Fremont County. Approximately 35 acres of BLM land will be treated to reduce accumulated hazardous fuel and improve wildlife habitat. Targeted fuels include ponderosa pine, Gambel oak, juniper and residual slash from previous thinning treatments.
Depending on weather and fuel moisture conditions, the prescribed burns could begin in late October. The projects are intended to reduce conifer encroachment in grass meadows while improving forage for wildlife and domestic livestock. Prescribed burns also help mimic various stages of plant succession, which is critical to the health of fire-adapted ecosystems.
Smoke from the prescribed burns will be visible throughout the day for each burn, mostly during the warmest part of the day. With cooler temperatures in the evening, smoke may linger and accumulate in low lying areas.
According to the Colorado Air Pollution Control Division, “Prescribed fire smoke may affect your health. For more information see https://www.colorado.gov/pacific.cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health."
For additional information, contact Ty Webb (719) 269-8560 at the BLM Royal Gorge Field Office in Cañon City.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management
