Department of Conservation and Recreation
Conserve. Protect. Enjoy.
Department of Conservation and Recreation
The Virginia Natural Heritage Program this year has already conducted prescribed burns on the biggest number of acres of natural area preserves in its 34-year history – and more burns are planned this fall.
Between January and Oct. 12, stewards of the state’s natural area preserve system conducted prescribed burns on 2,151 acres across eight preserves.
Over 14 burn days, the locations ranged from far southwest Virginia to the Coastal Plain:
Prescribed fire is a critical management tool for restoring and maintaining fire-adapted and fire-dependent natural heritage resources. It creates and maintains an open, light-filled forest that longleaf pine and a host of other plants and animals depend on. Having fire on the ground every several years depletes the accumulation of leaves, sticks, and branches that might otherwise reach dangerous levels and set the stage for devastating wildfires.
They say that “fire is to the longleaf pine forest what rain is to the tropical rain forest,” said Rebecca Wilson, longleaf pine restoration specialist and Eastern fire manager. “The longleaf pine ecosystem is adapted to frequent, low-intensity fires. We know that we will never recreate the majesty of this ecosystem that once spanned over a million acres in Southeast Virginia, but it feels good to try.”
The agency continues to be supported by strong partnerships with fellow fire management programs, including its Virginia State Parks, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Virginia Department of Forestry, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources and The Nature Conservancy.
In addition, DCR Natural Heritage assisted these partners with 42 prescribed burns across the commonwealth, totaling 7,838 acres on partner lands. Between natural area preserves and partner lands, that totals 9,989 acres.
“Every year, interagency partnerships are invaluable to Natural Heritage – and to our partners as well – by sharing crews, expertise, equipment, and providing operational flexibility, we get far more accomplished than we could otherwise,” said Claiborne Woodall, Western fire manager and Southwest Regional Supervisor.
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Natural Heritage
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prescribed burns
