Butte Forest Thin Prescribed Fire Project (8CA03417)

Butte Forest Thin Prescribed Fire Project (8CA03417)

The BLM would utilize prescribed fire on approximately 220 acre of fire adapted forestland to facilitate forest succession, improve forest health, and reduce fire hazard in two locations of the Forks of Butte. The burn would be implemented during non-fire season months that typically occur between early fall though spring. Burn units would be subdivided as needed to facilitate control efforts and mange smoke based on burn day smoke dispersion. Burning in each unit would occur on up to four occasions over a 10-15 year period. Burn treatment would create defensive space in treated areas that are adjacent to existing and planned private residences, strategic fuel breaks and field reduction zones along ridgelines and adjacent to infrastructure. All burning would be completed under a prescribed fire burn plan approved by the State Fire Management Officer. Burns would be conducting using hand ignition and other standard prescribed fire methods. Burn prescription would aim to reduce surface fuel loading 25-85% and understory woody vegetative cover by 15-65% from preburn levels. Reentry burns may occur up to three additional times over a 15 year period. The Forks of Butte area, with steep slopes and dense forested vegetation, has a high risk of human fire starts due to camping and other recreation activities occurring along Butte Creek. Vegetation thinning completed by the BLM to reduce fuels and thin the forest has occurred on a limited basis along roadways and through past timber harvesting such as the 2012 Butte Forest Thing, but over the past 30 years such treatments have occurred on less than 5% of the land. as time proceeds without a fire, forest vegetation continues to become denser, with corresponding surface and canopy fuel accumulations that increase the probability that a high intensity, fuel driven fire occurs. Such a fire would likely result in significant adverse impacts to area natural resources and surrounding communities.

Butte