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Show w - ' - - V i 1 7 - ' 7v7sU :7;v :;" . ex . , :tih ' i ;;vVAvtr,xV i- f 4 v - - , "tX-vf' - ' v -x , ' s i "!! : -s V ; , ' -;vc" Powell District Dixie National Forest Fire Management Officer Kim Soper "lights-up" for a Smith Canyon burn. He and Range Con servation Officer Scott Bell kept a couple of off-road motors handy in case an exodus was needed. More Controlled Burning Slated In Smith Canyon "Smith Canyon approximately 15 miles north and east of Pangui-tch Pangui-tch received and will continue to receive special controlled burnings by the Powell District Forest Service Ser-vice office," said Kim Soper, district dis-trict fire management officer. Soper and Range Conservation officer Scott Bell spent Monday and Tuesday in the canyon conducting controlled burns that are meant to enhance the habitat for wild animals. ani-mals. The mosaic-patterned fire cleared 100 acres that will reseed to offer a greater area of feed for wild animals. ani-mals. Bell said that sometimes chaining is necessary to clear acreage for feeding zones, but the $45 per acre cost of chaining versus I the S5 to $6 cost of burning makes it far more feasible to do the latter. 1 Several hundred acres north of Smith Canyon were chained several years ago, and Soper said the value of the habitat was increased considerably. consid-erably. i The men used drip torches for ignition. The wind and humidity were carefully checked, and when the go-ahead was given, everything went as planned. Bell, as range conservationist, is responsible for the continued condition of the range and is kept fully aware of the need for "controlled burns" and any other conditions where changes could and should be made. Soper, as lire management officer, conducts and attends fire schools throughout the year. Both men said that the burning of "fuel" which is the dettritus that is accumulated through the falling of leaves, twigs, and branches along with papers and other debris is a very important part of fire control and these "fuels" need to be continually monitored. |