Bear Valley, CA…Ignition of the prescribed burn is expected to begin October 28th, 2015. The project will take 7 to 10 days to complete, with potential residual smoke in the area for 1-2 weeks after implementation. Burning is contingent on weather, fuel moisture, air quality, and resource availability. All burning is monitored and conducted in accordance with state and county air quality guidelines. Burning is also closely coordinated with local county air quality control districts.

General and Specific Location: North Fork of the Mokelumne River, Bellfour Canyon, six miles west of the town of Bear Valley, off Forest Road 7N09; T7N, R16E, Sec. 1,2,3,10,11,12, and T7N, R17E, Sec 7.

Planned Size of Prescribed Burn: A total of 413 acres are to be treated using low-intensity prescribed fire, with planned ignition of approximately 40- 60 acres daily. Size of burn may vary with weather and fuel moisture conditions, as well as permissible air quality burn days.

Type of Prescribed Burn: Understory prescribed burn. Target vegetation is timber stands consisting of mixed conifer, red fir and montane chaparral.

Burn Project Objectives: Reduce the buildup of flammable forest fuels from timber sale created slash and natural accumulations; reduce the threat of uncontrolled, large and damaging fires. Use management ignited fire to mimic natural processes and maintain ecosystems.

Public Benefits: Prescribed burning is an effective cost efficient method of reducing flammable forest fuels, improving firefighting capabilities, and reducing the impacts of large uncontrolled damaging wildland fires.

Resource Benefits: Controlled or prescribed, low-intensity fires enhance wildlife habitat, protect and maintain water quality and soil productivity, improve forest ecosystem health, and reduce the threat of uncontrolled conflagrations. The Sierra Nevada is a fire dependent ecosystem, where fire is part of the natural forest process.

Public Advisory: Smoke may be visible from Highway 88 east of Pioneer and Highway 4 east of Bear Valley. This project is a planned prescribed fire. Please do not report as a wildland fire.