KEMMERER — The Kemmerer Ranger District of the Bridger-Teton National Forest plans to continue with the implementation of a prescribed burn, comprised of approximately 152-acres in the Basin Creek area of the Hams Fork drainage.
This project is a result of the Hams Fork decision that included timber sales, aspen restoration, hazard tree removal and prescribed burning.
Recently 464-acres of aspen have been mechanically treated, and it is anticipated fire personnel will be burning slash in the Basin Creek unit this spring, in late April to early June.
Burning of slash will result in the stimulation and regrowth of new aspen and the reduction of conifers within these stands.
The purpose of this project is to improve existing aspen stands by prescribed burning a large area to stimulate aspen cover types. This objective will allow improvement over a large enough area to help minimize impacts from big game animals. In addition to lowering fuel loads and benefiting wildlife, the project will also enhance the visual quality of aspen.
Locations for this project include one unit up the Indian creek drainage, one unit in Basin Creek off the Green Knoll/Big Spring cutoff, and one in the West fork of Hams
Creek.
Additional slashing units in Green Knoll and Nugent Park area were added in the summer of 2018.
For more information on this prescribed burn contact the Bridger-Teton at 307-739-
5500.
About U.S. Forest Service
The mission of the U.S. Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world. Public lands the Forest Service manages contribute more than $13 billion to the economy each year through visitor spending alone. Those same lands provide 30
percent of the nation’s surface drinking water to cities and rural communities and approximately 66 million Americans rely on drinking water that originated from the National Forest System.The agency also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.
