Pinedale on the Web!
Pinedale, Wyoming
Home | Calendar of Events | Photo Gallery | Local Businesses |

New Fork prescribed burn Smoke from the Wood Draw prescribed burn, as seen from the Duck Creek wildlife turnout on Highway 191 west of Pinedale.

(Pinedale). – The Bridger-Teton National Forest began the first phase of the Wood Draw Prescribed Burn in the New Fork Lake area on Friday, April 6.

The burn is located southeast of New Fork Lake and west of Willow Creek Guard Station near Little Flattop Mountain. Crews from the Forest Service and the Wyoming Department of State Forestry were able to burn approximately 100-acres on Friday afternoon. Weather conditions were less favorable on Saturday and no ignitions occurred.

According to Burn Boss Mark Randall, Friday’s efforts met the objectives of the burn so far. “We were able to achieve about 40-50% mortality in the sage which will give us the mosaic pattern we were hoping for”.

Smoke was visible in Cora and some areas of the Upper Green on Friday afternoon and evening and lingered through Saturday morning.

The Wood Draw Prescribed Burn includes a total of 850-acres and is partially funded through Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation dollars. Crews will continue burning the remaining 750-acres over the next couple of weeks. Actual ignition will be dependent on meeting strict parameters for weather and fire behavior conditions.

The primary objective of the burn is to improve wildlife habitat and increase forage. An additional benefit is to reduce the existing wildland fire hazard by breaking up the continuity of fuels in the area thus reducing potential negative effects from future wildland fire to both the Bridger-Teton and adjacent private lands while restoring fire-adaptive ecosystems.

For more information on this burn please contact the Pinedale Ranger District at 307-367-4326.

Related Links:
Bridger-Teton National Forest