Weather permitting, Havasu National Wildlife Refuge (Needles, AZ) will be conducting a prescribed burn prescribed burn
A prescribed burn is the controlled use of fire to restore wildlife habitat, reduce wildfire risk, or achieve other habitat management goals. We have been using prescribed burn techniques to improve species habitat since the 1930s.
Learn more about prescribed burn beginning February 3 to improve wildlife habitat and reduce hazardous fuels. Nearby roads and communities may be impacted for short time periods. Smoke will likely be visible to Needles Ca, Mohave Valley AZ, and residents in the surrounding area of Golden Shores, AZ.
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Havasu National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) will be conducting a prescribed burn beginning February 3, weather permitting, on USFWS lands. The Refuge is continuing a proactive land management approach by using fire as a management tool to reduce hazardous fuel conditions created by mechanical work.
Prescribed burning, conducted under an approved plan with the use of adequate firefighting resources, is the best method to prevent potential loss from a wildfire and an excellent tool for clearing vegetation. Firefighters from the USFWS, Bureau of Land Management, and State may be assisting Refuge Fire Management personnel with the prescribed burn.
Refuge biologists and fire personnel worked together to develop a plan that will protect endangered species and reduce vegetation that is impeding habitat restoration work. Prescribed burning treatments, while expensive, may cost as little as one tenth that of a large scale, wildfire suppression effort. All burn plans are developed using national interagency standards developed by qualified and experienced fire management professionals. The plans are extensively reviewed and must be approved by the Refuge Manager prior to ignition.
Fire Management personnel from the USFWS Arizona Fire District will closely monitor weather and fuel conditions to maximize results and minimize smoke impacts on adjacent communities. Burns will be conducted during the daytime hours with some potential for night time smoldering. Nearby roads and communities may be impacted for short time periods. Smoke will likely be visible to Needles Ca, Mohave Valley AZ, and residents in the surrounding area of Golden Shores AZ.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 544 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
Visit the Service’s website at http://www.fws.gov
NOTE: For local fire restrictions and fire information for federal, tribal and state lands in Arizona:
• Check our website www.fs.fed.us/r3/fire
• Phone 1-877-864-6985 (toll free).
