October 27, 2016; —The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests’ Alpine Ranger District will be conducting a 3,212 acre prescribed burn within the Nutrioso unit southwest of Nutrioso, beginning October 31st . Blacklining the perimeter will take place October 31th – November 4th, and burning the rest of the interior with aerial ignitions which will take place November 7th – 10th.
The Nutrioso II Unit is one mile southwest of Nutrioso, AZ in the area just north of Williams Valley. The legal description is: T6N, R29E, Sections 10, 13-16, 21-26, 35 and 36; and T6N, R30E, Sections 19, 30 and 31.
Ignition may last several days, with daily smoke impact anticipated within area drainages. Smoke will be visible in the community of Nutrioso, White Mountain Acres, Tal-Wi-Wi, Alpine, Hwy 180/191 and surrounding private property.
Prescribed burning provides many benefits and is essential to maintaining healthy forest ecosystems. It provides habitat diversity, recycles plant nutrients into the soil and encourages new growth for a variety of plants used by wildlife and livestock. Prescribed burning of forest ground fuels also reduces the threat of large scale wildfire impacts to private lands. Objectives of this project are to maintain and protect ponderosa pine stands while providing browse for wildlife.
This will provide protection for the private lands, as well as provide protection for the community of Nutrioso from wildfires.
Crews will be on scene from ignition until there is no longer a threat of escape from the project boundaries.
Questions or concerns contact the Alpine Ranger District at (928) 339-5000 or by calling 311 or 928-333-3412. Also, check out our website at: www.fs.usda.gov/asnf or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/apachesitgreavesnfs/.