File:Prescribed fire near Sacramento River Bend Area (52444638865).jpg

The prescribed broadcast burn will cover about 136 acres of BLM-managed lands in the Paynes Creek Wetlands area about a mile northeast of the community of Bend, and about six miles northeast of Red Bluff.

The primary objective of the prescribed fire is to improve habitat for waterfowl and other species by removing dead grasses, overgrown cattails and overgrown tule plants. Removing the dead and overgrown plants will also reduce the risk of wildland fire and improve the scenery in the wetland area that is popular for fishing, hiking, horseback riding and other recreation.

Broadcast burns are low-intensity, carefully managed fires ignited to achieve specific resource objectives. Operations are carried out in accordance with a burn plan developed and approved at multiple levels within the BLM.

The Paynes Creek Wetlands area is within the 19,750-acre Sacramento River Bend Area of Critical Environmental Concern managed by the BLM. The area provides extensive riparian habitat, and cultural resources which are remnants and clues about the region’s history and pre-history.

Located along the Pacific Flyway, the wetlands within the Sacramento River Bend provide important habitat for neotropical migratory bird species that breed in the Northern Hemisphere and then winter in the warmer climates of Central and South America. The area also provides habitat for native upland birds and mammals.