Single Publication

The Columbine and Dolores Ranger Districts on the San Juan National Forest have outlined their plans for the Fall Prescribed Fire Program.

The Columbine District has identified two areas for burn implementation:

· Beaver Meadows: Approximately 2,000 acres planned, located 10 miles northeast of Bayfield

· Southern HD mountains: Approximately 1,000 acres planned, located 12 miles southeast of Bayfield

The Dolores District has identified three areas for burn implementation:

· Haycamp Mesa: 10,658 acres located 10 miles east of Dolores, along the Haycamp Mesa Road, Forest Service Road NFSR 556

· Boggy Draw: 8,706 acres located 3 to 15 miles northeast of Dolores, along the Dolores-Norwood Road near Little Bean Canyon, Boggy Draw Road NFSR 527, and Cottonwood Canyon Road NFSR 532

· Salter: 5,379 acres located 7 to 15 miles east of Cahone, near Salter Y and Ormiston Point Road NFSR 521

Operations may begin as soon as weather permits and may continue into late fall, depending on weather, fuel conditions, and availability of fire personnel and other resources.

The forests in Southwest Colorado are part of a fire-adapted ecosystem, which historically experienced frequent, low-intensity fires on a large scale. Prescribed fire replicates that fire regime and helps keep our forest healthy, reducing the risk of bigger, catastrophic fires in the future.