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2009 Federal Duck Stamp Contest
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Prescribed Burning
Who
Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge conducts a series of prescribed burns each year as part of its habitat management program. Burns are conducted by refuge staff trained and certified in fire fighting. Local fire departments, law enforcement agencies and state natural resource offices are informed of the burn and assist if needed.
What
A prescribed burn is a managed fire conducted under a special set of guidelines for weather and safety, called a prescription, designed prior to the burn.
When
Most burning on the Refuge is done in the spring and the fall on days when conditions meet the prescription set for a safe burn. Temperature, humidity level, wind speed and wind direction are among factors that must be correct for the burn to occur.
Where
Each year several management units on the Refuge are selected for burning. Each unit is bordered by natural or manmade barriers such as firebreaks, waterways or roads that enable the fire to be contained.
How
The burn area is ignited using mainly hand ignition devices. Refuge fire engines with trained fire fighters are used to conduct the burn.
Why
Prescribed fire is used to maintain and restore wildlife habitats to accomplish the refuge's primary mission of wildlife conservation. Prescribed fires also aid in the control of wildfires by reducing hazardous accumulations of fuels.
Tradeoffs
Wildlife management always involves tradeoffs. There is no decision that is best for every species of wildlife. Burns in the spring may destroy some ground nests but create better nesting cover for future years. Burns in the fall remove winter wildlife cover and, in the long-term, revitalizes the habitat. Not burning at all results in the degradation and possible loss of fire-dependant habitats present on the Refuge. Wildlife managers balance these and many other competing interests when they decide how to manage an area using prescribed fire or any other tool.
Smoke
All prescribed fires are carefully planned to cause as little inconvenience or trouble to local residents as possible. The preferred plan is to burn when the prevailing winds carry the smoke away from homes and busy roads. Occasionally, despite the best efforts of the staff, some smoke crosses a road or passes near a home. Refuge staff work hard to minimize such problems and are prepared with road signs to warn drivers of smoke along roads.
Commonly Asked Questions
How does the fire help the ecosystem?
Through habitat management programs, such as prescribed burning, Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is restoring the ecosystem that existed in this area prior to European settlement. The native plants and wildlife are adapted to fire and depend on periodic burning for their continued existence.
How do plants survive a fire?
Many plants in the uplands and wetland habitats managed by the Refuge are adapted to fire. Their adaptations, such as deep roots or thick bark, allow them to survive a burn and continue to grow. The fire rejuvenates the native grasses and wildflowers and opens up the canopy of the more densely wooded areas.
What happens to the wildlife?
Ground dwelling animals find shelter by burrowing under a log or staying in an underground burrow. In wooded areas some animals go into tree cavities. Animals that run and birds which fly leave the area ahead of the fire. Very few animals are unable to escape the fire.
The burn allows plant nutrients to be returned to the soil to be used again. The improved habitat that results from the use of prescribed burning benefits wildlife. Burning creates thicker, younger cover and also increases food availability by stimulating seed production.
