Fall burning to begin on Three Rivers Ranger District
by Kootenai National Forest
September 22, 2010
Fall is here and the Three Rivers Ranger District is beginning to implement their fall prescribed burn programs.
The Three Rivers Ranger District use prescribed burning as a very important resource management tool to reach their management objectives. Some of the most common objectives of prescribed burning are: fuel reduction, site preparation for reforestation, improvement and creation of wildlife habitat and regulation of stand composition.
The Three Rivers Ranger Districts may treat up to 2,626 acres this fall with their prescribed burn programs. 1,078 acres may be treated by understory burning to remove logging slash generated from timber harvest activities, to reduce fuels generated by thinning activities, to reduce natural fuel accumulations and to enhance wildlife browse and forage. 1,094 acres of slash generated by timber harvest activities and thinning activities will be treated in the form of excavator piles and hand piles. Many of these fuels treatments were funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and have allowed the district to accomplish many projects in addition to their regular program of work.
Some of these treatments are in close proximity to private property. Local communities and the valleys may experience some periodic smoky conditions. All prescribed burns on the Three Rivers Ranger District must comply with air quality regulations, guided and monitored by the Montana/Idaho State Airshed Group. Burns will occur when air dispersion and weather forecasts are predicted to be favorable. We will strive to minimize the smoke effects; however there may be some short periods of smoky conditions. Although some areas will be impacted more by short term smoke created by the prescribed burns, the effects of fuels treatments in these areas will have long-term benefits.
We would like to thank the local communities for being supportive of our fuels treatment programs in the past and value your continued support. Please keep in mind that fuels treatments will help make our forests healthier and help reduce hazardous fuels.
Please travel cautiously through smoky areas and reduce your speed. Visibility may be limited and people and equipment may be present in the smoke. If you have any questions about the prescribed burns or would like to be contacted prior to any burning in your area, please call the Three Rivers Ranger District at 406-295-7478.
The district has a few more hand or equipment piles in the following areas: Troy Ranger Station, Bad Medicine and Yaak River Campgrounds, Vinal Lake trailhead, Troy shooting range, NE Yaak gravel pit and Mac’s gravel pit.
Don’t forget these planned burns are dependent upon weather and fuel conditions.
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