Westside Ranger District planning prescribed fire in Rowley Canyon

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – The Westside Ranger District, Caribou-Targhee National Forest is planning to ignite a 1,019-acre prescribed burn in the Rowley canyon area (seven-miles west of Downey) beginning the last week of April and may continue into early/mid-May depending on weather conditions.

Ignition of the burn units will proceed when favorable weather and fuel conditions are observed to meet the objectives of the project. Smoke may be noticeable from the Downey area and limited to the tri-county area of Bannock, Oneida and Power, particularly in the vicinity of Rowley Canyon. Updates will be posted to the Forest’s Facebook page at USFSCaribouTarghee.

This burn unit is part of the Rowley Canyon Wildlife Habitat Enhancement Project. The purpose of this project is to maintain this area for big game winter range with woodland and wooded shrubland types (including mountain mahogany, juniper, maple) for cover by reducing juniper in areas to help promote good mixtures of grasses, forbs, and shrubs for forage. The burn will also create natural fuel breaks to help manage wildfires while improving vegetation condition and age class diversity for forested and non-forested vegetation alike. Signing along the roads within the affected area will notify the public when prescribed burn operations are in progress.

For more information, or to learn about the benefits of prescribed fire and the role wildfire has in the ecosystem, contact the Westside Ranger District Office at (208) 236-7500.