BLM to burn slash piles in South Steptoe Valley

ELY, Nev. – Weather permitting, the Bureau of Land Management Ely District this month and next will burn slash piles of pinyon pine and juniper on public lands near Cattle and Horse Camps and Basque and Monument Canyons in South Steptoe Valley.

Fire Management Specialist Rob Frisk said the piles are remnants of tree-thinning treatments that reduced pinyon-juniper expansion within the Steptoe Valley watershed. “The treatments were part of the multi-year South Steptoe Valley Watershed Restoration Project that restores watershed health and improves wildlife habitat while reducing catastrophic wildfire risk,” Frisk said.

The Cattle and Horse Camp and Basque and Monument Canyon prescribed burns are between 25-30 miles south of Ely. The BLM will burn slash piles on 402 acres near Cattle Camp, 270 acres near Horse Camp, and 60 acres north of Basque Canyon. The BLM will also burn piles on approximately 506 acres in Monument Canyon. Smoke may occasionally be visible to area residents.