LOGAN — Fire crews from the Logan and Ogden Ranger Districts are burning up to 125 acres of slash piles southeast of Cache Valley. Smoke from the pile burning may been seen from the Randolph area.
Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest spokesperson, Kathy Jo Pollock said the Nebeker project began Monday and will conclude Tuesday, weather permitting. The project is located within Rich and Cache Counties approximately 45 miles east of Logan, Utah.
The slash piles were created from a commercial timber harvest in the Bug Lake and Otter Creek areas. The purposes of the project is to improve forest health and diverse habitat for a variety of wildlife species, as well as a resiliency against future insect and disease infestations.
Pollock said prescribed fire and mechanical fuels treatments are intended to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires, restore, improve forest health and resilience, and maintain critical watershed function.
The Forest’s strategy for reducing long-term wildfire risk includes: 1) cross-boundary mechanical treatments to reduce risk to private property and infrastructure; 2) creating or strengthening strategic fuel breaks; and 3) restoration treatments to reduce hazardous fuel accumulation, increase resiliency of forests, and protect critical watersheds.