Shoshone National Forest Plans Pile-Burning Operations
Written by Caleb Nelson on December 1, 2022
As winter settles over the area, the Shoshone National Forest plans to conduct pile-burning operations as weather conditions allow. These piles are the result of completed timber sales and fuel reduction work on Shoshone National Forest.
Piles on the northern half of the Shoshone National Forest are in the following areas:
- Clarks Fork Ranger District – K-Z Ranch
- Wapiti Ranger District – Recreation residences along the North Fork Highway
- Greybull Ranger District – Francs Fork area and JoJo Timber sale (FSR 202)
On the Wind River Ranger District, piles are located at:
- Long Creek Road (FSR 513),
- Sheridan Creek area (FSR 540),
- South of the Upper Little Warm Springs Subdivision (FSR 545),
- Approx. 1 mile southwest of Warm Springs dispersed camping area along FSR 532, and
- Community piles near Union Pass subdivision and Pinnacle Heights recreation residences west of Dubois.
On the Washakie Ranger District, piles are in the below areas:
- Louis Lake turn-off along FSR300,
- Rock Creek area near Rock Creek Reservoir and Iron Mountain (FSR 310 & FSR 368),
- Pine Creek area along the Forest boundary (FSR 315 and FSR 316),
- Recreation residences near Louis Lake,
- Near Louis Lake & Dickinson Park Guard stations as well as Deer Park off FSR 302, and
- Community piles near the Pass Creek Subdivision south of Lander and the Diamond 4 Ranch northeast of Dickinson Park.
Smoke generated from burning these piles may be visible near burning operations as well as in the nearby communities of Crandall, Cody, Meeteetse, Lander, and Dubois.
The USDA Forest Service has recently completed a 90-day nationwide operational pause and program review of protocols, decision support tools and practices related to the implementation of prescribed fire. This pause has allowed us time to identify and immediately implement program improvements to ensure firefighters have the resources, tools and support needed to safely carry out this important work. The lessons we’ve learned, driven by the best science in the world, will be implemented before we resume our prescribed fire program.
