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Lake Meredith National Recreation Area and Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument FMP EA
Lake Meredith National Recreation Area » Lake Meredith National Recreation Area and Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument FMP EA » Document List
The National Park Service is proposing to update the Fire Management Plan for Lake Meredith National Recreation Area and Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument to include utilizing prescribed fire on adjacent private lands, with the permission of the landowners when conducting NPS prescribed burns. The fire staff would use adjacent oil and gas road systems and ranch roads as firelines where topography is conducive for safe and efficient fire operations.
Many of the park boundary lines are on steep slopes or in places where it is not safe to control or hold a prescribed fire. Using ranch roads as firelines would allow more efficient prescribed burns to be implemented, which would reduce the risk and help prevent large wildfires in the area, by creating blocks of reduced vegetation that would not carry intense fire. The park would incur the cost of preparing the firelines and protection of any private land features in the prescribed burn area. These activities would help to protect visitors, nearby communities, park infrastructure, and oil and gas facilities.
This Environmental Assessment (EA) evaluates 2 alternatives; a No Action Alternative (I), and the Preferred Alternative (II).
Alternative I, No Action Alternative - This alternative represents what would occur at LAMR if the fire management program is limited to fuels management activities occurring only on NPS lands. This alternative provides a baseline for comparing and evaluating the impacts to the environment by the action alternative. The approved fire and fuels management program at LAMR would continue, but prescribed burning activities would be limited to NPS lands inside LAMR and ALFL. This would likely hinder successful prescribed burning in many areas, and result in limiting the acres and amount of vegetative fuels treated inside the park. This would result in a buildup of fuels in certain park areas that could lead to future uncontrollable wildfires, both within and adjacent to the park. These wildfires could threaten visitors, adjacent communities, NPS infrastructure, and oil and gas facilities both within and adjacent to NPS lands.
Alternative II, Preferred and Environmentally Preferred Alternative – Under this alternative, the LAMR fire management program would continue as it currently exists, with the addition of utilizing prescribed burning on NPS and immediately adjacent private lands, with the permission of landowners. The fire staff would use ranch roads as firelines where prescribed fires could be safely stopped and contained. Hand or mechanical treatments approved in the LAMR Fire Management Plan would be utilized to improve firelines where needed and to protect identified natural and cultural features, or facilities. Larger prescribed burns could be implemented to more effectively reduce wildfire risk, and prevent large wildfires in the area by creating blocks of reduced vegetation that would not carry fire. Thus these activities would protect visitors, nearby communities, park infrastructure, and oil and gas facilities better than the no action alternative.
P.O. Box 1460, Fritch, TX 79036
Many of the park boundary lines are on steep slopes or in places where it is not safe to control or hold a prescribed fire. Using ranch roads as firelines would allow more efficient prescribed burns to be implemented, which would reduce the risk and help prevent large wildfires in the area, by creating blocks of reduced vegetation that would not carry intense fire. The park would incur the cost of preparing the firelines and protection of any private land features in the prescribed burn area. These activities would help to protect visitors, nearby communities, park infrastructure, and oil and gas facilities.
This Environmental Assessment (EA) evaluates 2 alternatives; a No Action Alternative (I), and the Preferred Alternative (II).
Alternative I, No Action Alternative - This alternative represents what would occur at LAMR if the fire management program is limited to fuels management activities occurring only on NPS lands. This alternative provides a baseline for comparing and evaluating the impacts to the environment by the action alternative. The approved fire and fuels management program at LAMR would continue, but prescribed burning activities would be limited to NPS lands inside LAMR and ALFL. This would likely hinder successful prescribed burning in many areas, and result in limiting the acres and amount of vegetative fuels treated inside the park. This would result in a buildup of fuels in certain park areas that could lead to future uncontrollable wildfires, both within and adjacent to the park. These wildfires could threaten visitors, adjacent communities, NPS infrastructure, and oil and gas facilities both within and adjacent to NPS lands.
Alternative II, Preferred and Environmentally Preferred Alternative – Under this alternative, the LAMR fire management program would continue as it currently exists, with the addition of utilizing prescribed burning on NPS and immediately adjacent private lands, with the permission of landowners. The fire staff would use ranch roads as firelines where prescribed fires could be safely stopped and contained. Hand or mechanical treatments approved in the LAMR Fire Management Plan would be utilized to improve firelines where needed and to protect identified natural and cultural features, or facilities. Larger prescribed burns could be implemented to more effectively reduce wildfire risk, and prevent large wildfires in the area by creating blocks of reduced vegetation that would not carry fire. Thus these activities would protect visitors, nearby communities, park infrastructure, and oil and gas facilities better than the no action alternative.
Contact Information
Superintendent; Attn: Lake Meredith National Recreation AreaP.O. Box 1460, Fritch, TX 79036