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Conservancy Makes Controlled Burn Plans
Written by Bruce Ferrell   
Wednesday, 11 December 2019 14:32

WILMINGTON – The Nature Conservancy announced the 2020 controlled burning season, crediting the Orton Foundation for its support of the work.

The Conservancy owns or manages more than 35,000 acres in Pender, Brunswick, Bladen, and Columbus counties. Much of that property is fire-dependent; the plants that live there need regular fire to survive and thrive. The Conservancy burn crews and its conservation partners will burn thousands of acres in southeastern North Carolina, with burns commencing the second week in January and running through August.

“We’ve accelerated our burning in the region,” says the Conservancy’s Burn Boss Angie Carl. “The Orton Foundation funding is crucial to that work. In addition to supporting our burning directly on the ground, we also use it as a match for additional funds from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.”

“With its interconnected longleaf pine forests and wetlands, Southeastern North Carolina is recognized as one of the most ecologically diverse locations on earth,” said Louis Bacon, founder and chairman of the Orton Foundation, an affiliate of The Moore Charitable Foundation. “Nature Conservancy North Carolina’s ongoing efforts to build resilience through controlled burning in this special habitat is bolstering range-wide restoration. We are proud to be long-time partners.”

Low intensity fire, often caused by lightning strikes, were common in the area’s longleaf pine forest prior the 1930s. These fires pushed back hardwood trees and shrubs, ensuring that longleaf pine and plants—such as the carnivorous Venus flytrap—could thrive. Allowing fire to run its course became unpopular in the last century, with land managers putting an emphasis on fire suppression. The forests closed in. Longleaf pine struggled, and many of the plants on the forest floor blinked out because little sunlight could reach them. Today’s land managers understand the importance of restoring the forests’ natural balance through controlled burning. In addition to improving the ecosystem, controlled burning also removes fuel, which could stoke large wildfires and threaten nearby communities.

The Nature Conservancy has an extensive fire program, staffed with experts who know and understand fire. Controlled burn participants receive extensive training to ensure that they are careful to protect surrounding communities, themselves and the land they are working to restore. All controlled burns are conducted by a trained team under the guidance of a fire boss, who has years of experience and training.

Burns are carefully planned.  Fire experts do a great deal of work before the first match is lit. First, they create a burn plan, which includes smoke and fire control, allowable weather, equipment and personnel needs. The plan also details how the ecosystem will benefit from fire. Preparation for a controlled burn also includes creating firebreaks, which are wide corridors of cleared vegetation around the burn area. Firebreaks ensure that fire doesn’t leave the burn area.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 11 December 2019 14:34
 
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