DNR plans prescribed burns in Eastern, Central Washington
Department of Natural Resources personnel keep watch on a prescribed burn at Cougar Canyon, in western Whitman County, in October. The department is planning more prescribed burns this spring, in Klickitat, Okanogan, Spokane and Kittitas counties.
COURTESY PHOTO/DNR
OLYMPIA — The Department of Natural Resources is planning a number of prescribed burns on State Trust lands in Central and Eastern Washington this spring, according to a statement from the department.
“Prescribed fire is one of the most important tools we have to restore the health of our forests,” Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz wrote on the statement. “Prescribed fire is one of the most cost-effective ways for us to remove excess fuels and create defensible space for wildland firefighters as they fight to protect our homes and communities each summer.”
Prescribed burn operations will begin in early April and could run through May into early June, according to the statement. Successful implementation of all seven burns will be subject to weather and ground conditions, as well as the availability of personnel and other resources.
Prescribed fires are a common tool used by land managers and conservation groups to reduce the amount of fuel available for wildfires, improve the health of older trees, support new and current wildlife habitats, and recycle soil nutrients back into the ground, the statement said.
The planned burns, covering more than 2,100 acres, will include:
• Airport: 659 acres near Glenwood in Klickitat County
• Black Diamond – Aeneas Valley: 142 acres near Tonasket in Okanogan County
• Black Diamond – Havillah: 398 acres near Tonasket in Okanogan County
• Boggs Pit: 240 acres near Deer Park in Spokane County
• Plumback: 195 acres near Cle Elum in Kittitas County
• Sinlahekin: 140 acres near Loomis in Okanogan County
• South Park: 370 acres near Glenwood in Klickitat County