A local prescribed burning will serve a "valuable tool for maintaining habitat and plant diversity," state environmental officials said.
Patch Staff
VERNON, CT — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection plans to conduct prescribed (or controlled) burns at a Vernon location this spring, weather and conditions permitting.
That spot is the the Belding Wildlife Management Area.
Prescribed burns are an important land management practice, and the DEEP plans and administers controlled burns annually for various purposes, DEEP officials said.
"Controlled burning is a valuable tool for maintaining healthy habitats and diverse vegetation," they added.
For example, it helps maintain grassland and shrubland habitat for species that are declining in Connecticut due to a loss of farmland and early successional habitat, helps maintain pitch pine sand plain forest (one of the state's most "imperiled" ecosystems), and can assist with forestry objectives such as oak regeneration, DEEP officials said.
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"Controlled burns also reduce available fire fuels, thus reducing risk of damage should an uncontrolled wildfire occur," DEEP officials said.
A 1-acre area of Belding has been designated for the burn. The purpose of the burn is to sustain and enhance grassland habitat for the benefit of plants and wildlife, DEEP officials said.
DEEP officials said Connecticut consists mainly of older forests estimated to be 90 to 130 years old. Grassland habitat is limited in the state, as most abandoned farmland has either been developed or allowed to revert to forest, they added.
"Prescribed fire is one tool that can effectively maintain grassland habitat. Fire also returns nutrients to the soil, encouraging native grass species to flourish," DEEP officials said.
The prescribed burns are being led by the DEEP Forestry Division with assistance from other fire-trained personnel in the DEEP's Wildlife, State Parks, and Support Services Divisions. DEEP Forestry Division personnel will employ a detailed burn plan to ensure effectiveness and safety.
Areas will be closed on the days of the burns, and signage will be posted. The public may observe smoke because of the burns. Weather conditions will be monitored and a Go/No Go evaluation will be conducted for each burn on the day of ignition.
Historically, indigenous populations utilized landscape burning to favor the presence of nut-producing trees such as oaks and hickories, invigorate berry-producing plants, and maintain open grassy meadows for hunting, farming, and other food-gathering activities, DEEP officials said.