The Odessa Record - Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!

SWANSON WILDLIFE AREA — Since the devastating Whitney Fire in 2020, which burned a large portion of the Swanson Lake Wildlife Area, work has been ongoing to restore the habitat for Columbia Sharp Tailed and Sage Grouse populations and other wildlife.

According to Swanson Lakes Area Manager Mike Finch, the first thing experts set out to do after the fire was to develop a map based on fire severity at the site.

He worked in partnership with Bureau of Lands Management (BLM) Biologist Jason Lowe. Between the Swanson Lake area and the BLM, they had 33,000 acres of land in the fire area.

“Th...