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Pennsylvania Game Commission Northeast Region Director Daniel Figured announces that nearly 1,600 acres of State Game Lands 141, in Carbon County, is scheduled to be treated using prescribed fire during the week of May 9.
Prescribed fire is a habitat-enhancement tool that can be used effectively to promote oak forest regeneration by reducing competition from less desirable tree species (such as black birch and red maple) through a controlled and slow-moving fire. After fire moves through an area, more fire-tolerant oak trees and seedlings remain and become the dominant species as the forest matures. Oak acorns benefit a variety of wildlife because of their high nutritional value and are sought after as a fall food source by several species of birds and mammals as they prepare for winter.
“The Game Commission has been using prescribed fire to improve wildlife habitat for more than 10 years, with outstanding results,” Figured said. “Areas treated with prescribed fire will not be a pretty sight initially. However, in time, these operations will ultimately result in areas with excellent habitat that is beneficial to a variety of wildlife.”
Of the 1,600 acres, 45 acres is owned by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Bureau of State Parks (Lehigh Gorge State Park). The two agencies will be working together on this habitat project.
A cooperative agreement with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has allowed the Commission to use TNC leadership and expertise in conducting prescribed fire operations. This agreement has helped improve thousands of acres wildlife habitat on game lands in Pennsylvania.
Throughout prescribed-fire operations, safety is the primary consideration from planning through implementation. The entire operation is overseen by a “Burn Boss,” who develops a detailed plan required to be approved by the Game Commission and other agencies. Timing of the burn is weather-dependent and takes into account the amount of moisture both in the ground and the growing vegetation. Access to the burn site is restricted to only highly trained prescribed fire personnel and all necessary local fire and emergency personnel are notified in advance.
In the weeks prior to a burn, an 8-foot-wide fire break is established around the entire area. Just prior to initiating burn operations, a small and easily extinguished “test fire” burn is conducted to check fire behavior and smoke-dispersal patterns. If the Burn Boss approves the fire to proceed, an experienced crew made up of personnel from the Game Commission and other natural-resources agencies uses a regimented process to burn the site.
Work crews are assigned to various jobs including interior ignition, wind and temperature monitoring, and perimeter containment using specialized Utility Task Vehicles, water packs, and a variety of hand tools. As the fire begins to burn out, areas with flames near the perimeter are extinguished and those on the interior allowed to burn out gradually. The entire area is then closely monitored over the next few days.