GILLETTE, Wyo. — There will be smoke in the Bighorn Mountains during the next few months, but it won’t be from wildfires, with the Bureau of Land Management announcing plans to burn slash piles.
According to a Nov. 20 release, the Buffalo Field Office has plans to burn slash piles this fall and winter on BLM-administered public lands in western Johnson County.
Approximately 83 acres of hand piles — the result of fuels reduction projects to restore curl-leaf mahogany stands ― will be burned on Gardner Mountain in partnership with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, the BLM says.
Off Hazelton and Slip roads, the agency intends to target 550 acres of hand piles in the Sawmill Creek area that were left over from a forest health and fuels reduction project, per the release.
Local homeowners will have access to a public slash disposal site in the Billy Creek area, according to the BLM. The site is earmarked for non-commercial use and can accommodate small materials such as branches and small trees.
Excavated stumps, which are difficult to maneuver and burn, are not allowed in the pile. In addition to public access, the BLM intends to target 297 acres of hand piles from forest health and fuel reduction projects, the release states.
According to the BLM, burning may continue through April 2025 as conditions allow and is contingent on fuel moisture and weather meeting appropriate treatment conditions on site. Smoke may be visible from the surrounding areas during and after burning operations as slash materials are consumed.
