The Shadow
ROANOKE, Va. (VR) – This spring, firefighters across the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest will conduct prescribed burning to reduce hazardous fuels, restore wildlife habitat, and improve forest health.
When conditions are right, trained fire personnel will use prescribed fire to reduce hazardous fuels, which help reduce threats to communities from extreme fires. Reintroducing fire minimizes the spread of pest insects and disease, recycles nutrients back to the soil, and improves natural conditions for native flora and fauna. Prescribed fire is controlled by trained fire personnel working under the right weather conditions, including temperature, humidity, wind, moisture of the vegetation, and conditions for the dispersal of smoke. “With last fall’s active fire season on our minds, we recognize the need for prescribed burning more than ever. These prescribed burns are not just tools for improving forest health but also for creating safer, more fire-resistant communities,” said Forest Supervisor Joby Timm. Prescribed burns also create areas where a diverse mix of grasses, plants, and wildflowers grow, which provides valuable food and cover for wildlife such as bears, deer, turkeys, and migratory birds. If conditions allow, Fire Managers will burn up to 60,000 acres of the 1.8 million acre forest this year. Many of these prescribed burns are conducted through partnerships with the Virginia Department of Forestry, The Nature Conservancy, and other collaborating agencies. More information will be released as burns are scheduled across the forest. For updates visit website or Facebook.
