Bighorn National Forest Plans Fall Prescribed Burns

Bighorn National Forest Service Officials have announced a couple of prescribed burns this fall. Sheridan Media’s Ron Richter has the details.

The Powder River Ranger District of the Bighorn National Forest will be conducting a prescribed burn in the South Willow Project area above Tensleep Canyon over the next few weeks. The burn is needed for livestock allotment management planning, wildlife habitat improvement and fuels reduction. Similarly, Medicine Wheel District Ranger Mark Foster is planning a prescribed burn in the Beaver Creek project area near Hunt Mountain over the same time period.  This burn is also needed for livestock allotment management planning, wildlife habitat improvement, and fuels reduction.

Warning signs will be posted in the burn areas informing people restricted access during burn operations and hunting seasons will be avoided to every extent practical.  Forest service social media outlets will provide updates prior, during, and after the burns.  The burns are likely to occur over a one to three day period when implemented.  Smoke will likely be visible from nearby communities of Ten Sleep and Shell. The Forest Service released a statement saying that  smoke impacts will likely be insignificant in these or other communities along the eastern side of the Bighorns due to typical wind patterns that disperse smoke. Burns may be ignited by hand or with drones and held using hand and engine crews or heavy equipment.

Maps of the burn units are available on the Forest’s webpage at https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/bighorn/home  additional information can be obtained at the Powder River District office, at 307-684-7806, or the Medicine Wheel District office at 307-765-4436.  Check out our website, https://www.fs.usda.gov/bighorn, like us on Facebook (US Forest Service – Bighorn National Forest), or follow us on X (@BighornNF).