PRESCRIBED BURNS

Prescribed burns ( also called controlled burns ) certainly have a place in the tool belt of the professional forester. Fire creates plant and animal habitat. Some ecosystems would not exist without fire. The foundation of fire ecology is the premise that fire is neither innately bad, nor in the best interest of every forest. Fire causes change and change can have value. We utilize prescribed burns to create the changes necessary to maintain a healthy ecosystem. We vary the timing, frequency, and intensity of our burns to produce the various responses desired for habitat manipulation. In the hands of a professional, fire can create changes in plant and animal environments to meet the land owner's objectives.