MONTE VISTA — The Rio Grande National Forest plans to burn numerous piles of woody debris generated as a result of timber sale and thinning projects on the Rio Grande National Forest. Ignition times are weather and condition dependent. The project areas include:

w The Zissou Timber sale in the Pool Table Mtn. area 9 miles northwest of South Fork

w The Easy Money timber sale in the Moon Pass area 18 miles northwest of La Garita

w The Jasper, Reservoir, Lobo, El Gato, Spruce Park and Rendezvous timber sales in the Cumbres Pass area 6-8 miles southwest of Horca

Burning will be deferred on a limited number of accessible slash piles in some areas to allow firewood removal prior to burning — for more information on firewood gathering opportunities, please contact your local ranger district office.

The piles will be burned when there is sufficient snow cover to prevent them from spreading. Smoke from these pile burns may be visible for several days.

Prescribed fire smoke may affect your health. For more information see https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health.

For more information concerning the planned pile burning, contact Sid Hall at the Rio Grande National Forest Supervisor’s Office at 719-852-6205.

Gregg Goodland, Public Affairs Officer, Forest Service, Rio Grande National Forest, p: 719-852-6212, c: 719-588-7045, [email protected].