BLM Unveils Strategy To Tackle Wildfire Threat

Sacramento, CA– The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has introduced an approach to expedite the execution of fuels reduction projects on public lands with high wildfire risk across California and northwest Nevada. The recent approval of the Statewide Wildland-Urban Interface Fuels Treatment Programmatic Environmental Assessment signifies an effort towards streamlining plans aimed at community safeguarding, mitigation of wildfire risks, and enhancement of forest health.

Karen E. Mouritsen, BLM California State Director, explained, “This plan seeks to diminish the intensity, severity, and propagation of wildfires near communities that are adjacent to BLM-managed public lands. Through partnerships with local and state agencies, our focus is on prioritizing and synchronizing fuels treatments to protect people, property, and critical infrastructure.”

In alignment with this blueprint, fuels treatment projects will be coordinated across various land ownerships to optimize outcomes for local communities. The strategy intends to establish an extensive network of targeted fuels treatments and strategic firebreaks within the wildland-urban interface. The plan covers 44 counties in California and includes Calaveras, Mariposa, and Tuolumne.