The Bureau of Land Management is preparing to conduct a prescribed burn in the Trail Gulch area, approximately 15 miles northwest of Cañon City between Shelf Road and High Park Road in northern Fremont County.
Depending on weather and fuel moisture conditions, the prescribed burn could begin any day extending into mid-October. Approximately 385 acres of BLM land will be subject to burning in order to reduce accumulated hazardous fuel and improve wildlife habitat. Targeted fuels include ponderosa pine, Gambel oak, juniper and residual slash from previous thinning treatments.
The project will create a mosaic of burned and unburned areas intended to reduce conifer encroachment in grass parks while improving forage for wildlife and domestic livestock. Prescribed fire also helps to create various stages of plant succession, which is critical to the health of fire-adapted ecosystems.
Smoke from the prescribed burn will be visible throughout the day of the burn, mostly during the warmest part of the day. With cooler temperatures in the evening, smoke may linger and accumulate in low lying areas.