The Florida Forest Service Waccasassa Forestry Center will start its dormant season prescribed burning over the next few weeks on state lands within the district.
According to a press release, nearly, 20,000 acres are scheduled to be burned on seven state forests, including Newnans Lake, Ross Prairie, Etoniah Creek, Goethe, Indian Lake, Carl Duval Moore and Welaka state forests. The acreage does not include land managed by other public agencies or privately managed land.
The dormant season prescribed burns are conducted when temperatures are cooler during the winter months and trees are in their dormant stage to minimize stress on the timber while decreasing heavy fuel loads. The prescribed fire is a safe way to ensure a healthy ecosystem and reduce wildfire risk while applying a natural process.
Other uses of prescribed fire include wildlife habitat improvement, range management, disease control in young pines, preservation of endangered plant and animal species and maintenance of fire-dependent ecosystems. The pre-planned prescribed burns are conducted under specific weather conditions and carefully analyzed. The calendar dates for burn activities are fluid and only administered when conditions are right and the burns can achieve their desired results.
“Fire renews forests. Overgrowth fuels wildfires and threatens native plant species as well as the habitats that our wildlife depend on,” said Stephen Montgomery, Waccasassa Forestry Center Manager, in a press release. “After a prescribed fire, plants resprout and wildlife thrives. Fire has kept our forests diverse and wildlife habitats healthy for thousands of years.”
During the recent fiscal year, the Florida Forest Service (FFS) treated 277,818 acres of state forests with prescribed fires and the Waccasassa Forestry Center burned 11,173 acres on state lands in Alachua, Marion, Levy and Putnam counties. Learn more about prescribed fire at WhyPrescribedFire.org.
The FFS is a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and manages over 1 million acres of state forests. The FFS also provides forest management assistance on over 17 million acres of private and community forests. The FFS is responsible for protecting forestland, natural resources and homes from wildfire on more than 26 million acres. Learn more at FDACS.gov/FLForestService.