Prescribed burns designed to improve depot safety, support wildlife habitat
Prescribed burns designed to improve depot safety, support wildlife habitat
13 February 2011
published by richmondregister.com
USA — The Environmental Division of the Blue Grass Army Depot will be conducting prescribed burns on the depot from February through April to support wildlife habitat improvement and reduce the possibility of wildfires, according to a BGAD news release.
The controlled burns are designed to support deer, turkey and bobwhite quail recovery areas and several species of fowl located on the depot that require similar habitat.
In addition to helping reduce fire hazards to the depot, the burns will help create and maintain wildlife habitat by converting fescue (cold season) grass to warm season (native) grasses in accordance with an approved Natural Resources Management Plan, Environment Assessment and a Wildland Fire Management Plan.
The fires, conducted only when weather conditions are favorable, will be coordinated with state, federal and local agencies including the BGAD Fire Department. They most likely will occur during the morning to mid-afternoon. The areas will be broken up into 300- to 400-acre blocks, totaling about 1,500. All fires will be extinguished by 6 p.m. each day.
The prescribed burn also will provide opportunities for BGAD Land Management Division to conduct the annual beginners wildland fire training that has taken place since 2002.
Other Army installations, state agencies, including the Division of First and Wildlife Resources, Department of Natural Resources and Division of Forestry as well state and city parks systems and volunteer fire departments often attend this training.
