Baker Creek and Can Young Prescribed Fires

Fires are a natural part of ecosystems. Many plants and animals evolved under frequent low intensity fires. Native Americas across the western US used fires as a tool to modify and improve their environment. The evidence of this fire history is well preserved in soils, tree rings, burn scars, ethnographic accounts, and historic photos and journals. But 100 years ago, fire management shifted to a policy of exclusion. Fires were aggressively suppressed, and human use of fire virtually eliminated. This policy had dramatic impacts. Fuels accumulated, grasses, sagebrush, and aspen vegetation disappeared, and wildlife declined.

As a result of this policy, fires are now larger and burn at higher intensity. Active fuels management can reduce fire size and intensity, protect human life and property, restore native wildlife and vegetation, and reduce catastrophic flooding.

This year, prescribed fires and fuels projects are planned for Baker Creek (Figure 1FY25 Burn Polygons, 80 acres total) and Can Young canyon (Figure 2 Can Young Aspen Pile Burn, 22 acres). Fire exclusion impacts are evidenced by an overrepresentation of late successional classes and accumulation of heavy woody fuels. We propose broadcast burning in Baker Creek and pile burning in Can Young. Prescribed fire would be preceded by mechanical thinning to prepare the sites. Fire return intervals of 5 to 10 years would be re-established through regular maintenance burns. Seeding and herbicide treatments may be required to re-establish native plants.

These projects were included in the Fire Management Plan Environmental Assessment (PEPC # 105453) but are being reviewed again to incorporate public comments into the project implementation. For more details see Appendix E of the Fire Management Plan.

The NPS values your input, and we look forward to your participation in this project. Public comment is open from September 19 through October 11, 2024. Please submit comments here or by mail:

Great Basin National Park
Attn: Prescribed Fire
100 Great Basin National Park
Baker, NV 89311

Should you require assistance submitting comments, please reach out to park staff via email at bryan_hamilton@nps.gov or beth_cristobal@nps.gov or by calling 775-234-7563.

Document Content:

Figure1 FY25 Burn Polygons.pdf   (2.0 MB, PDF file) Figure 2 Can Young Aspen Pile Burn.pdf   (1.1 MB, PDF file) Disclaimer: Links within the above document(s) were valid as of the date published. Note: Some of the files may be in PDF format and can be viewed using the Adobe Acrobat Reader software. You may download a free copy of from Adobe Systems.