MONTE VISTA — The Bureau of Land Management Front Range Fire and Aviation Management Unit is preparing to conduct a prescribed burn at Blanca Wetlands, approximately 11 miles northeast of Alamosa.

This prescribed burn will improve habitat for nesting and migratory waterfowl in the wetlands. As many as 184 acres surrounding six ponds will be burned as part of this operation.

 The burn is planned to occur between early February and late March.

Specific timing of the operation will depend on weather and fuel moisture conditions. Crews will be on site for the duration of the burn.

 The primary objective of the prescribed burn is to remove decadent fuels and thick stands of cattails surrounding the ponds.

Fire is the most effective method to remove the cattails and dead fuels and improve habitat.

Pond shorelines within the wetlands are burned at five- to 10-year intervals to improve habitat for the 150-plus species of birds that use the area.

 Smoke from the pile burns 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.

 Prescribed fire smoke may affect your health. For more information, please visit the Colorado Air Pollution Control Division’s website: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health.

 Information on the Blanca Wetlands prescribed burn will be available on Inciweb or on Facebook at @BLMColoradoFire.

 For additional information, please contact John Markalunas, Assistant Fire Management Officer for BLM’s Front Range Fire and Aviation Management Unit at 719-852-8160.

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In fiscal year 2018, the diverse activities authorized on BLM-managed lands generated $105 billion in economic output across the country. This economic activity supported 471,000 jobs and contributed substantial revenue to the U.S. Treasury and state governments, mostly through royalties on minerals.