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(Big Piney) – The Bridger-Teton National Forest plans to conduct a prescribed burn in the Maki Creek area of the Big Piney Ranger District starting on May 23, 2008. The total project area is 2,045 acres, but only a small portion will be burned at one time. Crews will begin igniting the first of eight units, 290 acres, later this week and early next week. Depending on spring conditions and weather, more units may be burned as conditions allow. Maki Creek is located between North and South Cottonwood Creeks approximately 15-miles southwest of the town of Merna. There are no road or trail closures associated with this project.

The primary objective of the burn is to reduce fuel build-up and restore aspen to the ecosystem. Some mechanical treatments were conducted last summer where conifers were removed from the aspen stands using chainsaws. Additional benefits of the prescribed burn will be to improve forage for wildlife and ultimately to help disperse elk off of the nearby feedgrounds.

This fire is a cooperative project supported by additional funding from the Wyoming Game and Fish trust fund and the Wyoming Wildlife Natural Resource trust fund. Helicopters will be utilized to ignite the burn using aerialignitions techniques. Ground crews will also help to get the fire started by operating drip torches, which are specialized ignition devices that trained firefighters use in our treatment areas. Actual ignition of a prescribed fire will be dependent on meeting strict parameters for weather and fire behavior conditions. Smokey conditions may exist in the immediate area and smoke may be visible from the towns of Pinedale, Daniel, and Big Piney.

For more information on this burn please contact the Pinedale Ranger District at 307-367-4326.

Related Links Bridger-Teton National Forest