(Lander, WY) – The Bureau of Land Management will conduct prescribed burns in the Copper Mountain and Green Mountain areas this spring, beginning as soon as late March. The burns are part of an ongoing effort to reduce hazardous fuels and improve wildlife habitat.
The Copper Mountain prescribed burn will be conducted on the east end of the mountain, approximately 15 miles northwest of Lysite in the Bridger Creek drainage. Firefighters will burn approximately 200-500 acres of BLM, State of Wyoming and private lands, within a total project area of approximately 6,800 acres.
The Green Mountain prescribed burn will be conducted in the foothills of the mountain’s south side in an area known as the Mountain Allotment, north of Crooks Creek. Firefighters will burn approximately 200-300 acres of BLM-managed land within a total project area of almost 12,000 acres.
Both operations are expected to last 1–5 days and only when weather and fuel moisture conditions are favorable for a safe and effective burn. Smoke on the mountains may be visible at times from the surrounding areas.
The objectives of the prescribed burns are to reduce shrub and woodland conifer density to lessen the probability of severe wildfire and create a more diverse mosaic of vegetation species and age classes. Wildlife habitat will improve in aspen, mountain shrub and sagebrush stands for species such as pronghorn, mule deer, sage-grouse and other birds including sage thrasher, Brewer’s sparrow and sage sparrow.
For more information, contact Tim Kramer at (307) 332-8431, [email protected], or Jamie Ellington at (307) 332-8484, [email protected]. v