Staff Writer
The Register-Herald
BECKLEY — Fire can be a valuable management tool as well as a destructive force. Fire management professionals in the Monongahela National Forest plan several prescribed fires in 2010 to achieve a variety of on the ground results, including restoration of oak-hickory forests, maintenance or restoration of savannahs, and clearing of winter leaf litter and debris in a campground.
Because of the variation in weather it is very difficult to predict the exact timing of the fires much in advance of the burns. Fire management staff may also burn portions of each area at different times, again depending upon weather conditions.
All prescribed fires are conducted using detailed “burn plans” which specify acceptable conditions such as wind speed and moisture levels to ensure that areas can be safely burned. Professionally trained firefighters are used for the ignition process to maintain safety lines around areas while they are burning and to follow up on each site after the burn to be sure the fire is completely out.
Four areas of prescribed fires are planned in 2010. The area likely to be done first is a 13-acre area of the Lake Sherwood campground, where fire will be used to clear leaf litter and winter debris before the campground is open for the season. That fire may take place as early as March 19 if weather conditions are suitable.
The other three areas are 6 acres in Shock Run in Pocahontas County near Frost, 1,625 acres in Chestnut Ridge in Pocahontas County near Green Bank and 1,081 acres in Peach Orchard in Greenbrier County near White Sulphur Springs.
The Shock Run burn will be a repeat maintenance burn of a savannah area to benefit wildlife species using this habitat type. Both Chestnut Ridge and Peach Orchard are large scale burns planned to restore oak-hickory forests.
Because of the scale of these projects they may be conducted in stages on different days.
For further information on any of these projects, call Monongahela National Forest fire management officer Peter Fischer at 304-636-1800, ext. 264.
