BLM project to reduce wildfire risk
On Feb. 6, 2026, the Bureau of Land Management requested public input on a proposal to treat vegetation on about 5,000 acres of public land in the King Mountain area of Routt County for wildfire reduction, infrastructure preservation and more. The Colorado River Valley Field Office intends to reduce wildfire risk by removing hazardous trees and thinning overgrown areas. The project intends to reduce wildfire risk to infrastructure with traditional ground-based logging methods, hand cutting techniques to remove dead or damaged trees and thin trees in crowded areas, as well as chipping, chopping or piling and burning to remove excess vegetation and leftover cut tree materials.
“In the King Mountain area, years of drought, warmer temperatures and past fire suppression have stressed forests,” said Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Unit Fuels Specialist Chad Sewell. “Our project will create clear areas to help slow wildfires and reduce burnable material.”
