Andy Close
WARREN, Pa. – The US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service plans to use prescribed fire as a forest management tool in May in the Allegheny National Forest.
The ANF does not have exact dates yet, as operations are weather dependent, and they will implement prescribed fires at the optimal time to achieve the best results. This spring, they plan to treat 446 acres spread across five project areas located in the Warren County portion of the Bradford Ranger District. Please see the attached map for project locations.
Communities near the burn sites will be notified 24 to 48 hours before ignitions. To keep community members well informed during the burns, the ANF will post road signs, road guards, and information on their social media channels, @Allegheny_NF / Twitter and AlleghenyNF / Facebook. For maps and additional information please visit InciWeb, the Incident Information System. For convenience, the direct link is – Spring Prescribed Fire Plan.
The ANF conducts prescribed fires with the safety of the public and firefighters as the highest priority. They use fire as a tool only when the parameters of approved burn plan are met, including wind speed and direction, relative humidity, temperature, fire danger, seasonal restrictions, and mitigation of potential smoke impacts.
Fire management staff, in collaboration with Forest resource specialists, identified wildfire fuels reduction, forest health, wildlife, and ecosystem management objectives to accomplish with the use of prescribed fire.
Fires are a historic and natural process for some ecosystems in the Allegheny National Forest, grasslands and oak-hickory forests are two prime examples. Oak-hickory forests, which comprise approximately 16 percent of the Forest, require periodic fires to reduce competing undesirable vegetation, recycle soil nutrients and stimulate the increased production of acorns, blueberries, blackberries, and other mast crops.
White-tailed deer, turkey, butterflies, songbirds, grouse, snakes, turtles, and other wildlife species utilize burned areas for feeding, nesting, warming, and a place to raise their young. Prescribed fires also reduce the amount of hazardous fuels that, when left unburned, can lead to uncontrolled wildfires that could threaten human life and property.
