2,100 acres of South Monroe Mountain burned Wednesday and Thursday in Piute County, but even after the flames are snuffed out, the work is continuing in the effort to restore aspen groves in the area.
After years of planning and studying, prescribed burns in Fishlake National Forest are creating what will soon be a whole new forest.
According to Linda Chappell, the acting fire-use and fuels program manager with the Forest Service, researchers have been studying the aspen growth in the area for years. Chappell says aspens have a lifespan of about 80-100 years, but it’s been about 150 years since a fire cleared through the area, so many of the aspens are very old.
Chappell says it’s time to get fire back into the ecosystem so new trees can grow.