Juniper slash burn planned near Grizzly Mountain

Fire managers on the Crooked River National Grassland plan to burn about 68 acres of slash piles along Highway 26 near the base of Grizzly Mountain early next week as weather conditions allow.

The juniper slash is left over from a thinning project and commercial firewood sale along the southern boundary of the grassland, near milepost 16, about 8 miles northwest of Prineville.

Officials said the objectives for the burn are simply to remove leftover juniper slash material, so land managers can reseed the area with native grasses.

Light smoke will be visible for one day during active ignitions, but is not expected to impact the highway or passing motorists, they said.

Fuels specialists follow policies outlined in the Oregon Smoke Management Plan, which governs prescribed fires (including pile burning) and attempts to minimize impacts to visibility and public health.

Fire managers are planning this burn in coordination with Crook County Fire and Rescue and in observance of the weather and applicable air quality advisories.

The Forest and Grassland appreciate public tolerance of temporary smoke conditions in support of this work.

For more information, visit the Ochoco National Forest website at www.fs.usda.gov/ochoco and follow us on Twitter @CentralORFire or contact Public Affairs Officer Patrick Lair at plair@fs.fed.us or (541) 416-6647