The Mammoth and Mono Lake Ranger districts together with the BLM office in Bishop, CA have scheduled several fire projects during the upcoming fall and winter months to reduce hazardous fuel buildup and to improve the condition of wild habitats.

According to the press release from the U.S. Forest Service, the prescribed burns will be scattered throughout Mono County and smoke may be visible from highways 395, 120, and 203. With so many world class climbing areas nearby, Sierra Journal inquired further in order to see if these scheduled blazes would affect crags like the Buttermilks and the Happy Boulders. Fortunately, aside from some distant smoke, most climbing will not be in the vicinity.

Below is an excerpt from the helpful response given to Sierra Journal by Sue Farley, Interagency Vegetation Management Specialist:

“…there are currently no prescribed burning projects being implemented near the Buttermilks, Happy Boulders and Owens River Gorge. There is a prescribed burning project planned for late winter or early spring in the Fish Slough area, which is several miles away from the Happy Boulders. This planned burning should not impact road access to the Happy Boulders, and smoke from the prescribed fire should not be a problem either because the burning is typically conducted when there is a slight northeast wind which would move smoke away from the bouldering area.”

If anyone else would like information on specific locations that are north of McGee Creek, please contact Sue Farley at the BLM Bishop Field Office, (760) 924-5535, or at sfarley@fs.fed.us.

For information on areas south of Mcgee Creek, please contact Heather Swartz, Vegetation Specialist of the South Zone of Inyo National Forest, (760) 873-2561, or at heswartz@fs.fed.us.

To view the original press release, click here.

Note: A special thanks goes to Sue Farley and Heather Swartz, who were extremely helpful in taking the coordinates of climbing areas and determining whether the burns would affect bouldering spots.  It’s great to have positive teamwork between everyone who enjoys using these great natural areas.