The Jackson Range District of the Bridger-Teton National Forest will be conducting a prescribed fire in the Upper Gros Ventre River Drainage. Up to 557-acres will be targeted for aspen regeneration, benefitting a variety of wildlife. Ignitions and mop-up operations should last between 4-10 days and could start between the end of September and middle of October. Fuels conditions, current and future weather, along with air quality will be monitored closely during and leading up the burn window.

WHO? The Bridger-Teton National Forest with funding support from Wyoming Game and Fish.

WHAT? Teton Interagency firefighters and fuels managers will be conducting up to 557 acres of prescribed fire. Prescribed fire will be used to regenerate decadent aspen stands and to mitigate conifer encroachment.

WHERE? This will occur in the Haystack Fork and Little Bear Paw Fork of Slate Creek in the Gros Ventre River Drainage. See map. 

WHY? The proposed action is to implement prescribed burning to enhance wildlife habitat in the Gros Ventre drainage. Elk, mule deer, pronghorn, and bighorn sheep benefit from open grassland and forb communities and healthy aspen stands. Unnatural fire suppression has greatly altered successional fire regimes in this area, resulting in a decline in aspen community health from advanced succession and conifer encroachment. Big game will benefit from these treatments by the resulting regeneration of aspen stands, reinvigoration of forb communities, and the maintenance of grassland meadows in year-round habitat, winter range, and migration routes.

IMPACTS and TIMELINE Ignition will occur with hand crews, other ground resources and helicopters. Depending on weather and potential smoke impacts, the burning window will occur in the fall of 2022 near the end of September into the middle of October, operations should last 4-10 days.