Prescribed fire Monday near Meeker

MEEKER I Fire officials with the Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Unit were planning to ignite the 766-acre Oak Ridge Prescribed Fire Monday about 10 miles southeast of Meeker in the Oak Ridge State Wildlife Area.
Burning the oak brush and other mountain shrub species in this area will improve elk and deer habitat by stimulating younger and more nutritious plant growth. The resulting mix of burned and unburned areas and mixed ages and sizes of the shrubs is also favored by most bird and mammal species that live in these areas. By improving wildlife habitat on public lands, managers hope to reduce conflicts with wildlife on private lands.
The project is a cooperative effort among the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Mule Deer Foundation, Yampa/White River Habitat Partnership Program, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and Colorado Division of Wildlife. The burn was to take place in the Seely Unit, which is in the western side of the State Wildlife Area.