MEDORA - Local residents and others passing through the area today shouldn't be alarmed if they see smoke coming from near the Chateau de Mores area. A tree burning is happening there at 10 a.m., weather permitting.
"We are hoping to see the weather work with us and will wait for the humidity to drop down before we ignite anything," DPG Zone Fire Management Officer Beth Card said Tuesday. "It will last for most of the day and we will have around six to seven folks out there to monitor the fire from start to finish making sure no embers or sparks go elsewhere."
A tree burning was a joint, year-long project by the Dakota Prairie Grasslands (DPG) agency and North Dakota Game and Fish Department. It was done to improve bighorn sheep lambing habitat. The groups cut down juniper trees because the sheep like an open area when they lamb and tend to return to the same area each year.
"Sheep like to lamb at the area where there's the least amount of vegetation which helps protect them from predators," Card said. "Sheep want to lamb in an inaccessible area for their predators like steep open areas so that is where we cut down most of the trees."
The tree cutting lasted from January 2006 to December 2006. It was delayed a few times due to not wanting to start fires during a dry summer. The total area size cut down was 20 acres, but all of it isn't being burned now. Around 12 to 15 cut piles of juniper trees are to be burnt.
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"We are burning them now for fire protection," Card said Tuesday. "We don't want a large area of very dead and very flammable trees sitting in a draw when summer comes.
The area which was weeded of trees is one mile south of Medora. Today DPG employees and Theodore Roosevelt National Park employees will ensure the tree burning runs smoothly and properly. A burn plan was written up with operational procedures, weather parameters, a contingency plan and notification list. The DPG will notify surrounding sheriff and fire departments and residents nearby this morning.
