Forest Service to perform burns

The Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District has several prescribed burns planned for the next few months on U.S. Forest Service lands in Sanders County. Depending on whether burning prescription conditions are met, these burns could occur over the next several weeks.

District fuels management specialists say that prescribed burning is planned for project activity areas and several other ecosystem maintenance or hazardous fuels reduction projects. All burns have been planned to meet silvicultural guidelines and the decision to burn or not is based on fuel moisture and forecast weather conditions.

If the correct burning conditions are met this week, approximately 200 acres will be burned in the West Fork of Swamp Creek area west of Plains and another 200 acres could be treated in the Finley Flat area northwest of Thompson Falls.

If the correct conditions are met, other areas the Plains/Thompson Falls RD plans on burning this fall include: a unit in the Cutoff area (235 acres); two activity units totaling about 35 acres in the Fishtrap Creek drainage; 400-600 acres of ecosystem maintenance burning in the Dry Creek area; and possibly several hundred acres of ecosystem maintenance in Cougar Peak area.

These planned burns are designed to reduce fuels created by forest health improvement activities and/or timber harvest. Ecosystem maintenance burning helps managers attain a variety of resource benefits through judicious use of fire. This type of burning rejuvenates winter range, reduces forest fuels and helps maintain traditionally open slopes.

In instances of timber harvest, prescribed fire is used to reduce fuel loadings generated by harvest activities and is required by law. In addition to reducing hazardous fuel loadings, this burning also prepares the site for natural regeneration of trees and/or tree planting.

Also planned for treatment are several smaller areas of concern, such as campgrounds or other dispersed sites, which may have materials hand-piled and burned as well.

For more information, call the Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District office at 406-826-3821.