All prescribed burning will be
conducted in accordance with Federal and State policies as outlined in the
refuge Fire Management Plan. This will be the first year for prescribed burning
at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge with plans to continue with prescribed
burning in future years.
Prescribed burns are safely conducted
annually on National Wildlife Refuges and other public lands throughout the
country. The two or three burns planned at Wallkill River, totaling approximately
90 acres, are designed to reduce the amount of grass and thatch while maintaining
and enhancing grassland nesting cover for many species of wildlife native
to northwest New Jersey.
By burning the dead plant materials,
nitrogen and other nutrients are released into the soil, providing nourishment
for new plants. Fire also removes part of the litter, or duff layer, exposing
the soil so that germinating seeds can take root and grow.
Prescribed
Fire vs. Wildfire
Prescribed burns are controlled
events that are carefully planned for, while wildfires are out of control
catastrophic events. Prescribed burns are used in many areas to prevent conditions
such as the accumulation of fuels (dead trees, twigs, leaves, needled, dead
grasses) that lead to raging, out of control wildfires. This is particularly
important during dry or drought conditions and in arid climates. Prescribed
fires at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge are conducted to reduce the
fuels and improve wildlife habitats.
Fire
as a Management Tool
Most of the prescribed burning
at Wallkill River NWR involves grassland habitats. Many of these areas have
encroaching shrubs and many grasses that are not highly desirable to wildlife.
Burning of these areas removes residual plant material and reduces the competition
for the more desirable plant species. Prescribed grassland burns are of lower
intensity and move across the fields at a slow to moderate pace.
Effects
on Wildlife
Burning at Wallkill River NWR is
normally concluded before many species begin nesting. Typically, wildlife
species leave areas being burned as soon as they sense the fire. The signals
wildlife respond to include sight, sound, smell, and increased temperature.
Wildlife benefits of prescribed burns are observed immediately after the fire.
Predators such as northern harriers, great blue herons, and red foxes are
the first to reap these benefits. Prey species such as meadow voles, snakes,
and frogs that move across burned areas with no concealing cover are easy
targets. Within days new plant growth begins to emerge. Within weeks, little
sign of the fire remains and herbivores feed on the tender young shoots of
new plant growth.
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| Credit: USFWS |
| NJFFS Fire engine. |
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Controlling
the fire
Prescribed burning requires long
term planning. Staff members are trained and burn areas are prepared when
needed. Each site has safety zones for personnel; in cases of an unforeseen
problem and fire breaks to control the extent of the fire. Fire breaks are
areas that will not carry a fire because if the lack of adequate fuels. Gravel
roads, water and mowed or disked paths are common fire breaks used at Wallkill
River NWR.
Specially
trained refuge staff, with the assistance of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service
firefighters and fire extinguishing equipment, are used to ignite and control
the fire and ensure public safety. Specific weather and site conditions are
required to control the extent and intensity of the fire as well as to manage
smoke. If these conditions are not present the burn will not take place.
For
more information related to prescribed burning, please visit the USFWS Fire Management home page. |
