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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 18, 2019)
NEWS MyEagleNews.com Wednesday, September 18, 2019 A3 Public use restrictions lifted on Malheur National Forest Blue Mountain Eagle Contributed photo/Thomas Dekany Prairie City Ranger District fire officials burned a 100-acre unit near Prairie City Sunday. Officials monitor conditions for fall prescribed fires 100-acre unit burned in Prairie City Sunday Blue Mountain Eagle Prairie City Ranger District performed a prescribed fire Sun- day, and officials con- tinue to monitor condi- tions for others elsewhere on the Malheur National Forest. On Sunday, ignitions began on 2b of the Dads WUI Project with full ignition for the 100-acre unit planned that day. Smoke was visible from Prairie City and Highway 26. The unit is located in the Eureka Gulch/Dans Creek area in Township 12 South, Range 34 East, Section 35. The burn is south of Highway 26 to Forest Road 306 and off of forest roads 388 and 350. Blue Mountain Ranger District and Emigrant Creek Ranger District continue to monitor con- ditions to begin fall pre- scribed fire activity. For the safety of fire- fighters and the public, roads and areas of pre- scribed fire activity will be signed. Avoid these areas so as not to interfere with ongoing operations. For safety, roads, trails and areas may need to close temporarily as fire- fighter operations are tak- ing place. Smoky con- ditions may also reduce visibility to a level that would require additional temporary closures. During prescribed fire operations, there is poten- tial for impacts to camp- ing and hunting. Hunters are advised to plan ahead. For their safety, they should not camp in or near an area of prescribed fire activity. Fall operations reduce surface fuels, increase height of some canopy, reduce small tree densi- ties and help promote fire resilient trees, thereby improving the ability to protect communities from wildfire. Additionally, these prescribed fires improve wildlife habitat and pro- mote long-term ecosys- tem integrity and sus- tainability by reducing the risk of high-severity wildland fire. All prescribed burn activity is weather and condition dependent. With the potential for smoke to settle in certain areas during active opera- tions, the public can mon- itor the smoke and air quality in the area and across the state by visit- ing oregonsmoke.blog- spot.com. Additional informa- tion regarding prescribed burning on the Malheur National Forest is avail- able on InciWeb at https:// inciweb.nwcg.gov/inci- dent/6299 or by view- ing the Prescribed Fire Activity interactive map at http://arcg.is/2wUZIil. For further information on the Malheur National Forest, visit fs.usda. gov/malheur or call the Supervisor’s Office at 541-575-3000. Grant County flood damage assistance available from Farm Service Agency Blue Mountain Eagle The Farm Service Agency is accepting appli- cations for assistance for spring flood damage to pro- ducers in Grant County. Applications will be accepted through Oct. 2 for the Emergency Conserva- tion Program, which pro- vides cost-share assistance to affected producers that suffered damage of such magnitude that it would be too costly for the producer to rehabilitate without fed- eral assistance, according to a press release. A producer qualifying for ECP assistance may receive cost shares not to exceed 75 percent of the cost of installing eligible practices. Limited resource producers may receive up to 90 percent cost share. No producer is eligible for more than $500,000 cost sharing per natural disas- ter. Approved practices and measures may include removing debris from farm- land; grading, shaping or releveling severely dam- aged farmland; restor- ing permanent fences; and restoring conservation structures and other similar installations (ditches, head gates, diversions, etc.). To be eligible for cost share, practices shall not be started until a request has first been filed at the FSA county office, and an onsite inspection of the problem area has been made by the County Committee or its representative. The County Committee will review the on-site inspection find- ings when considering the request for cost shares. If approved for cost share, all practices where ground disturbance will take place will need to have a cultural resource review completed for that area. Installation of a practice will need techni- cal planning completed by the Natural Resource Con- servation Service, except for debris removal or fence repair. Installation will have to meet NRCS standards and guidelines. Planning will be to rebuild the dam- aged practices to pre-disas- ter condition. All practices must be installed for use this year. Producers who have experienced flood damage requiring outside assistance are encouraged to con- tact the Grant County FSA Office at 541-523-7121, extension 2, to set up an appointment. Fire officials on the Emi- grant Creek Ranger District have announced the fire dan- ger rating is now moderate and all public use restric- tions pertaining to recre- ational chainsaw use, smok- ing and off-road travel have been lifted. The Industrial Fire Pre- caution has lowered to level 1. This reduction is the same as the changes announced on Blue Mountain and Prai- rie City Ranger District ear- lier this week. A one-hour fire watch is always required after saw operations cease. Saw oper- ators are required to have a shovel (8 inches wide, 26 inches in length), and fire extinguisher (minimum AB 8 oz.) in their possession. Campfires should be in fire pits surrounded by dirt, rock or commercial rings, and in areas not conducive to rapid fire spread. Camp- fires should have a mini- mum clearance of 3 feet from the edge of the fire pit. Use existing pits wherever possible. Campfires must be attended at all times, and completely extinguished prior to leaving. Persons with campfires should have a tool such as a shovel and 1 gallon of water in their possession. The shovel and water can be used to extinguish the fire before leaving your campsite. Use the “drown, stir, feel” method to ensure your campfire is com- pletely extinguished before leaving. Campfires in designated wilderness areas should be located so minimal distur- bance is necessary and to prevent fire spread. Nat- urally cleared areas, pre- viously used sites, and areas where vegetation is non-flammable (green grass) are examples. Use of a folding shovel when back- packing will aid you in com- pletely extinguishing your campfire. Check with local Bureau of Land Management and Oregon Department of For- estry offices for public use restrictions in effect on lands managed by these agencies. For more information, call 541-575-3000, or visit fs.usda.gov/malheur. Forest roads 13 and 16 open to woodcutting on perimeter of Cow Fire Blue Mountain Eagle Crews have been released from the Cow Fire southeast of Prairie City, and the pub- lic may now gather wood from felled and stacked woodpiles along forest roads 13 and 16 on the perimeter of the fire. Felling trees is not per- mitted in the area. Permits are required and may be purchased at any Malheur National Forest Ranger Dis- trict office. While wood- cutting is normally not per- mitted on forest roads with two-digit identifiers, the Forest Service has temporar- ily waived this restriction on the 13 and 16 roads. Material cleared along these roads to stop the fire has been piled next to the roads to facilitate public woodcutting. There is still firefighting traffic in the area, so the public is reminded to drive slowly and carefully. The Road Closure Order remains in effect in the vicinity of the Cow Fire and surrounding roads. While the 16, 13 and 1665 roads remain open, there is still an Area Closure in effect that includes all roads west from the 13 road, roads to the north of the 1665 and roads to the west of the 16 road that will remain in place for an extended period. Elk Creek campground also remains closed. It is not safe to travel off road in recently burned areas. Trees killed or weakened by the fire will continue to fall for months, even during calm weather On Sunday, crews con- tinued with fireline cleanup and repair. Prairie City Rural Fire Department per- sonnel will carry on with additional cleanup and repair. Crews are repairing firelines to prevent erosion by building water bars to divert runoff away from the fireline