Sonora, CA…The following is information regarding a prescribed burn planned on the Stanislaus National Forest. Prescribed Fire Name / Ranger District: Crandall Underburn, I-Bar Unit 2901, Mi-Wok Ranger District.

General and Specific Location: Project area is located along Forest Road 3N24, off Italian Bar Road (Forest Road 2N63) south of Deer Creek. Township 3 North, Range 16 East, Section 29. Please do not report as a wildland fire.

Projected Duration: The prescribed burn may begin May 21, 2018 and continue through spring as long as conditions allow. Burning is contingent on weather, fuel moisture, and air quality. All burning is monitored and conducted in accordance with state and county air quality guidelines and closely coordinated with local county air quality control districts.

Planned Size of Prescribed Burn: Up to 140 acres will be treated with low-intensity fire. Burn units may be ignited in blocks throughout the spring. The size of the blocks will vary based on environmental conditions and smoke production.

Type of Prescribed Burn: Underburn

Burn Project Objectives: The goal of this prescribed burn is to enhance public and firefighter safety by reducing the build-up of dead and down fuels and to reduce the threat of high-intensity wildfire while protecting watershed values and wildlife habitat by creating a mosaic pattern of vegetation.

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. Smoke may be visible from Highway 108 and in surrounding communities. Fire managers are working closely with local air districts and the California Air Resources Board to mitigate the effects of smoke on the public.

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The mission of the U.S. Forest Service, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world. Public lands the Forest Service manages contribute more than $13 billion to the economy each year through visitor spending alone. Those same lands provide 20 percent of the nation’s clean water supply, a value estimated at $7.2 billion per year. The agency has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 80 percent of the 850 million forested acres within the U.S., of which 100 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.