By Lyndsie Ferrell
SOUTH FORK— Divide District Ranger for the Rio Grande National Forest (RGNF) Martha Williamson and burn technician Kent Smith held a public meeting in South Fork last Wednesday, July 11 to hear public opinion on a proposed control burn in the Trout Creek area near Beaver Creek Reservoir. The meeting was in response to RGNF procedures that must take place in order for the plan to be approved through the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA).
Williamson opened the meeting with an apology to the attending crowd, stating that the press release approved for print announcing the control burn and meeting did not specify that the burn was not going to take place anytime soon. “We sent out the release without the specification that the controlled burn is only a proposal at this time and would not take place until a much later time and only if weather conditions allow,” said Williamson.
She then turned the floor over to Smith, who began by explaining that the proposed burn would take place in the Trout Creek area near the Trout Creek Trail Head sometime in the early spring. “The area has been mitigated over the last several months. We have been removing trees and other fuels from the area but have come to a point where it would be more effective to propose a controlled burn and rid the area of dangerous fuels. This is a unique controlled burn and one that I will take very seriously due to the fact that there are homes nearby,” stated Smith.
At this point several members of the audience voiced concerns about past controlled burns around the nation that went very badly, sometimes ending in the devastation of entire areas and asked what the chances were for the proposed control burn to have adverse effects on the area and whether or not the burn could potentially get out of control.
“I have been a burn boss for almost 18 years and have completed several prescribed burns in the Rio Grande National Forest as well as other areas. I have not had one get out of my control yet; though as I stated before, I will not take this lightly. There are several factors we have to take into consideration before NEPA will even permit me to create a burn plan. The point of this is to minimize hazardous fuels and ladder fuels in order to prevent a wildland fire from getting off the ground where it can be contained easier,” explained Smith.
Smith continued, stating that the prescribed burn would help stimulate plants in the area for new growth and bring more large game back to the region because of the new plants. The burn would be roughly 350 acres with flame lines of no more than three to four feet in height, with a determined number of trees that would be allowed to burn prior to the execution of the burn. “All of these factors along with weather conditions would be considered very carefully before I would even consider having the burn. We wanted to get the public’s input before moving forward with the proposal to NEPA,” said Smith.
After the process explanation was complete, the audience voiced their opinion that if the burn would help protect South Fork and the surrounding areas from wildland fires, they would be in favor of the proposal. One citizen spoke up stating, “I think that after hearing you talk that we can trust your judgment and the fact that you won’t do anything if it puts the public and their homes in danger. I, personally would be in favor of the controlled burn.”
After the meeting, the attending audience, Williamson and Smith took time to look at the map of past prescribed burns as well as one of the proposed burn in Trout Creek. Officials will move forward with the NEPA process and will announce a proposed date for the burn in the near future. Smith anticipated that the burn would last about two days and be monitored for up to a week after it is contained.