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BLM outlines pile and broadcast prescribed burns in Spanish Fork Canyon to reduce wildfire risk
Summary
BLM field manager Matt Preston and fuels specialist Eric Valdez briefed the commission on planned pile burns (15–20 acres; about 40–50 piles) and a proposed fall broadcast burn (~1,200 acres) in Reservation Ridge/Spanish Fork Canyon to improve habitat and slow wildfire spread; commissioners asked about public wood-collection opportunities and better early coordination with county staff.
Matt Preston, field manager for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in northern Utah, told the commission the BLM has been managing fuels in Reservation Ridge and Spanish Fork Canyon since 2012 and proposed near-term pile burns to reduce fuels and prepare for a larger broadcast prescribed burn in the fall.
Preston said the immediate proposal covers roughly 15–20 acres and about 40–50 hand-built slash piles (described as roughly 8-by-8-by-8 feet) that crews will burn when conditions are safe; the piles take an hour or two to burn and will be monitored for a couple of days until they are cold. The larger fall broadcast burn would cover roughly 1,200 acres, use up to 30 personnel during the burn period, and require a 3–4 day burn followed by 10–15 days of monitoring.
Eric Valdez, fuels-management specialist, explained the location and access constraints favor pile burns over public collection: many piles are off minimal roads and require a 20– to 30-minute hike, making public pickup impractical in those places. He said the BLM does offer other wood-harvest opportunities (wood cutting areas, Christmas tree permits, permissive wood use) and acknowledged the agency could improve communication so the public knows when and where such opportunities exist.
Commissioners expressed support for the work to reduce catastrophic-wildfire risk and asked for better early coordination between the BLM and county staff; Preston apologized for the communication lapse, said the BLM would work to improve outreach, and welcomed follow-up briefings as the larger broadcast burn approaches.
