AFTON, Wyo. –Bridger-Teton National Forest (BTNF) announced today, plans for a 99-acre prescribed burn of unit 3 of the Star Valley Front Vegetation Project, east of Grover in Cemetery Gulch.
The Star Valley Front Vegetation project is a 31,477-acre project area that extends from Strawberry Creek south to Cottonwood Creek, from the forest boundary to the top of the Salt River Range.
According to BTNF, the purpose of the burn is to begin restoring a balance of age classes in mountain shrub land, mountain big sagebrush, aspen, and conifer communities. The mix of succession stages is currently heavily skewed toward older age classes. Another important purpose is to improve the vigor of vegetation on mule deer and elk winter and transition range, which is particularly relevant given the great interest in deer and elk populations in the Star Valley area.
Star Valley Front, Unit 3, is in the northwestern portion of the project area. Unit 3 consists of primarily grass and mountain brush.
This project is expected to be carried out anytime in the spring between March 1 and May 15, 2022, when the snow has melted from the south-facing slope but still exists in the adjacent fuels surrounding the unit.
Firefighters will use this snow as a holding feature to prevent fire spread outside the unit. Actual ignition dates will be dependent on meeting strict parameters for weather, smoke dispersal and expected fire behavior conditions.
The community of Grover as well as Forest visitors camping and recreating in the area, may experience short-term smokey conditions in the vicinity of the burn unit during ignition operations, said BTNF. Because the burn will consume primarily fine fuels, smoke duration will be short-lived as the fuels will consume quickly.
Roads and trails should remain open to the public, however certain areas may be closed for a short period of time if deemed that public and firefighter safety may be impacted during portions of the burn.
This vegetation treatment is an interagency cooperative effort with Wyoming Game & Fish Department and the United States Forest Service.
