***Correction, the dates expected for this project are January 5th through the 13th (weather permitting).

The Black Mesa Ranger District on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests is planning to proceed with prescribed pile burning in the vicinity of Hwy 260 approximately 3 miles west of the community of Forest Lakes and adjacent to Willow Springs Lake.

The project boundaries are north and west of Highway 260 and south and east of the powerline access road. The burn is expected to be conducted between January 6th and 13th, depending on weather conditions.

Smoke will be a consideration in the vicinity of the prescribed burns depending on the weather and caution should be used when traveling in the area. Information on air quality and active prescribed burns can be found on Arizona Department of Environmental Quality’s webpage: https://azdeq.gov/. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures.

Our land management strategy is centered on long-term forest health, including reducing forest fuels and using prescribed fire on the landscape. Prescribed fires provide habitat diversity, recycles plant nutrients into the soil, and encourages new growth for various plants used by wildlife and livestock. They also reduce forest surface fuels which lessens the threat of large-scale wildfire impacts on private lands and communities.

The public can obtain additional information by calling the Black Mesa Ranger District at (928) 535-7300.