Yellowstone Times

Bureau of Land Management issued the following announcement on Feb. 28.

The Bureau of Land Management Billings Field Office will conduct prescribed burns in Musselshell and Yellowstone Counties this spring when fuel and weather permit safe operations.

Ignition is weather dependent so multiple days of burning may be conducted at different times to meet project objectives. 

The Antelope Creek project located approximately 14 miles North of Pompeys Pillar is the largest scheduled for burning at approximately 1,000 acres. 

About 15 acres of ditch and field burning is planned for the Sundance Lodge Recreation Area located southeast of Laurel and 100 acres of ditch and field burning is also scheduled at Pompeys Pillar National Monument located east of Worden.

The Antelope Creek project was designed to reduce future wildfire severity, increase firefighter and public safety and increase quantity and quality of forage for range and wildlife.  Burning in this area is planned for BLM and private lands through established agreements.

Burning in the Sundance Lodge Recreation Area and Pompeys Pillar National Monument will target ditches and grass fields to improve irrigation water flow, reduce weeds and improve wildlife habitat. 

During prescribed burn activity, visitors need to use caution accessing these areas for their safety, as well as the safety of the firefighters conducting operations. Smoke may be visible at times. All prescribed burns depend on weather and fuel conditions and will be monitored closely by firefighters. 

The proposed treatments are part of a larger national wildfire reduction strategy guided by President Trump’s Executive Order 13855 – Promoting Active Management of America’s Forests, Rangelands, and Other Federal Lands to Improve Conditions and Reduce Wildfire Risk, as well as Secretary’s Order 3372 – Reducing Wildfire Risks on Department of the Interior Land through Active Management.

The two orders direct Department of the Interior (DOI) and Department of Agriculture agencies to implement policies to improve forest and rangeland management practices by reducing hazardous fuel loads, mitigating fire risk and ensuring the safety and stability of local communities through active management on forests and rangelands.

For more information about prescribed burning or to get advice about maintaining defensible space in wildland-urban areas, call the Billings Interagency Dispatch Center at (406) 896-2900.

Original source can be found here.