Apalachicola National Forest begins 2016 Prescribed Fire Season
Release Date: Sep 25, 2015
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The U.S. Forest Service is gearing up for the 2016 prescribed fire season with approximately 100,000 acres on the Apalachicola National Forest planned for prescribed fire to help prevent wildfires and promote a healthy forest.
“Prescribed fire is a safe way to apply a natural process to ensure ecosystem health and reduce wildfire risk. Land managers and ecologists understand the natural process; fire has been part of the ecosystem since the beginning of time and is natural and important as is wind and rain,” said Steve Parrish, U.S. Forest Service fire management officer for the Apalachicola National Forest.
Plants and animals native to the longleaf pine habitats in the Apalachicola National Forest depend on natural fire cycles, which are mimicked through the use of prescribed fires to balance habitat and food sources. Prescribed burning is also one of the most effective land management tools used in preventing the outbreak and spread of wildfires.
Pre-planned prescribed burns are carefully analyzed and conducted under specific weather conditions. Specific calendar dates for burn activities are fluid because only when conditions are right can prescribed burns achieve desired results.
According to Parrish, because prescribed burns are dependent on weather conditions, the decision to burn is made very close to the actual burn time; great care is taken to minimize smoke impacts to highways, towns and residential areas during burns. Drivers and residents are reminded of the possibility of unexpected shifting winds that could increase the risk of smoke, degrading visibility while driving during a prescribed burn.
“Whether it’s prescribe fire or wildfire, if the public encounters smoke on the highways, slow down, turn on your lights and drive appropriately under the conditions,” said Parrish.
The National Forests in Florida is among those leading the nation in prescribed fire. Prescribed burning is conducted every three to five years in which approximately 100,000 – 175,000 acres of national forest lands are burned annually in the Ocala, Osceola and Apalachicola National Forests.
View map online at http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprd3855904.pdf
If you have questions regarding the prescribed fire burning season, contact the Apalachicola National Forest Wakulla Ranger District Office at (850) 926-3561.
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