Fire applied to manage grassland, forestland, pasture land, wildlife areas, or hayland within a prescribed set of conditions, dates, and with appropriate safety precautions to achieve a specific purpose.
How it helps
Prescribed burning helps:
control undesirable vegetation
prepare sites for harvesting, planting or seeding
control plant disease
reduce wildlife hazards
improve wildlife habitat
improve plant production quantity and/or quality
remove debris
enhance seed production
facilitate the distribution of grazing and browsing animals
restore and maintain ecological sites
manage native plant diversity/composition
Planning ahead
What time of year are you planning to burn? Burning should be managed with regard for wildlife needs, such as nesting, feeding and cover.
Notify adjoining landowners, local fire departments, and public safety officials as appropriate within the airshed prior to burning.
Tech Notes
Burn only to meet a specific management objective, generally once every 3-7 years.
It may be necessary to burn woody vegetation two or more consecutive years to control undesirable sprouting woody vegetation.
Use existing barriers, such as lakes, streams, wetlands, roads and constructed firebreaks in the burn.
Consider any known cultural resources and threatened or endangered plants and animals.
Smoke could have an impact on the surrounding area during and after the burn.
Weather conditions are generally more favorable for burning following the passage of a weather front. Good burning conditions are frequently most favorable 1-3 days following a rain.
Maintenance
Monitor the burned site and adjacent areas until ash, debris, and other consumed material is at pre-burn temperatures.
What it is