March 13, 2020 Press Release:
Fire Managers for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plan to implement a prescribed fire project on Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) starting around March 25th, 2020 with an expected completion date of April 10th weather permitting. Unit preparation is expected to take a couple of days and the burn itself will be 1 day. The project will involve a broadcast burn of 300 acres. Prescribed fire is used to maintain and promote a healthy grassland by removing decadent plant material and recycling nutrients back into the soil.
Burning is expected to last 1-3 days at Maxwell NWR and will produce visible smoke. This burn will be implemented under a strict set of guidelines and weather parameters to provide for public and firefighter safety. If unsafe weather conditions exist, the burn will be rescheduled for a later date.
The prescribed burn should not impact public visitation to the Refuge but may restrict public access to areas within close proximity to the burn. Signs will be placed notifying the public of restricted areas.
For more information, contact Ken Roberts, NM Fire Zone Fire Management Specialist, at 575-625-4013.
United States Department of the Interior
FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge
4200 E. Pine Lodge Road
Roswell, NM 88201
Phone: (575) 622-6755
