In 2019, the Bureau of Land Management in Colorado treated more than 28,000 acres of Federal Land to reduce wildfire risks.
The agency used prescribed burns as well as the clearing or breaking down of fuels including brush and fallen trees to reduce the fuel loads on Colorado land. The agency also removed invasive species to help reduce the impact on native species and give those plants a better chance at surviving future fires.
The Department of the Interior announced this week that it far surpassed the target number of treated acres nationally. That goal was set in an executive order from President Donald in December 2018. The order called for active management of America’s forests and rangelands to reduce wildfire risk.
BLM Colorado set out to treat 21,000 acres at the beginning of 2019, according to the agency, but beat that goal by 7,000 acres.