| Date: September 9, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Fall Burning to Begin on the Council and Weiser Ranger Districts
Council, ID – The Council and Weiser Ranger Districts of the Payette National Forest may be conducting prescribed burns in the Bear Tornado area, Stage Stop, Cougar Basin, Anderson Creek, Mann Creek, West Mill Creek, and Mill Creek drainages beginning as early as September 22nd of this year.
The exact start date and end date of the burning will depend on weather conditions. Fire managers hope to ignite approximately 360 acres in the Bear Tornado area, 40 acres at the Stage Stop along the Council/Cuprum road, 200 acres in Cougar Basin and Anderson Creek, 60 acres in West Mill Creek, 20 acres in Mill Creek, and 300 acres in Mann Creek as part of the Payette National Forest’s fall prescribed fire program. The intent of these prescribed burns is to help restore ecosystems, reduce fuel accumulations from harvest activity, and prepare planting sites for tree seedlings.
The locations of the burning include:
- Bear Tornado area, Bear Creek Drainage from Bear Saddle to the community of Bear, approximately 22 air miles northwest of Council ID, legal location is T21N R2W sections 34-36 and T20N R2W sections 2-4, 8-10, and 16-19 and T20N R3W sections 23-27. Smoke may be visible from the community of Bear, New Meadows and surrounding areas.
- Stage Stop, approximately 14 air miles northwest of Council ID near the intersection of the Council Cuprum Road and the Crooked River Road, legal location is T19N R3W section 26. Smoke may be visible from Lafferty Campground, the upper Crooked River drainage and surrounding areas.
- Cougar Basin/Anderson Creek, approximately 20 air miles east of Cambridge ID, legal location is T14N R2E sections 2-35 as well as T15N R2E sections 26-34. Smoke may be visible from the communities of Cambridge and Council and surrounding areas.
- West Mill Creek, approximately 12 air miles NW of Council ID, legal location is T18N R3W section 26. Smoke may be visible from the Council-Cuprum road north of Hornet creek.
- Mill Creek, approximately 10 air miles northwest of Cambridge ID, legal location is T16N R4W section 31. Smoke may be visible from Cambridge and the surrounding areas.
- Mann Creek, approximately 20 air miles north of Weiser ID and 14 air miles west of Cambridge ID, legal location T14N R5W sections 4-9, 15-22, 26-33, and T14N R6W sections 1, 2, 11-14, 23-26, 35, 36, and T15N R5W sections 28-33. Smoke may be visible from the communities of Weiser, Cambridge, and the surrounding areas.
Prescribed burning is subject to air quality regulations. All fall prescribed burning would be subject to approval from the Montana/Idaho State Airshed Group. Careful planning (prescription development) and participation in the Montana/Idaho State Airshed Group would reduce the impacts of prescribed burning on air quality by restricting prescribed burning to conditions when smoke dispersal would be optimal. Fire managers ignite prescribed fires when weather conditions allow for optimal smoke dispersal, but smoke is to be expected during prescribed burning and the public is advised to avoid these areas. Signs will be posted in the areas where burning will take place to inform campers and recreationists of ongoing operations.
Some amount of smoke will likely persist after ignition as pockets of larger fuels continue to smolder. For more information, please contact Tom Schultz or Monte Hurd at the Weiser Ranger District at (208) 549-4201 or (208) 549-4210.
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