GREENWAYS & NATURAL LANDS

Prescribed Burning

The Seminole County BCC in recognition of these benefits from Prescribed Burning supported staff in implementing this critical program even before the summer of ’98 wildfires. The Seminole County Natural Lands Program has 4 certified burners on staff that writes prescriptions, prepare burn sites and conduct prescribed burns. The Division staff work cooperatively with the Seminole County Public Safety Department to implement prescribed burns with assistance from the Florida Division of Forestry and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Department.

Ecological Benefits of Fire
As stated above fire provides many natural, ecological benefits to the plants and wildlife that inhabit Florida. For thousands of years lightning ignited fires throughout the Florida landscape which would burn unchecked until they reached the unburnable fuels of wetlands or water bodies. This created a mosaic of burned and unburned habitat at many different stages of succession. The plants and wildlife became adapted to this cycle and in some instances dependent upon it. These fires would clear away years of shrubby growth and leaf litter and create ideal conditions for the regeneration of many plant species. Wildlife also adapted to the changes brought about by fire. The open habitat is easier to move about in, provides more sunlight, and in turn supports a greater diversity of forage plants. Species such as the gopher tortoise, Sherman’s fox squirrel, redheaded woodpecker, southern fence lizard and Bachman’s sparrow all prefer the open woodlands created by fire.

Public Safety Benefits
The wildfires of 1998 are a perfect example of what can happen when fire is removed from the Florida landscape. Too much fuel builds up and with the right or wrong conditions this scenario can lead to very intense and sometimes uncontrollable wildfires. The use of prescribed burns reduces the amount of natural fuels available and makes subsequent wildfires much less intense and easier to control. We also saw secondary affects such as widespread, heavy smoke that lasted for weeks, closed down major transportation routes and presented a much more severe health threat then the more short-term smoke of prescribed burns. Finally the negative, economic impacts caused by wildfires could be lessened through the statewide use of prescribed fire.

The partnership between the Natural Lands Program and the Public Safety Division remains strong as both groups work hard to increase the acreage burned each year. In order to keep the habitats in peak condition and maximize biodiversity, approximately 300 acres need to be burned each year. Thanks to all of the support from the community, this goal will be achieved within the next couple of years!

The Natural Lands Program is committed to both sound ecological stewardship and public education on these land management practices. If you would like to have a Natural Lands staff member speak with a group or just discuss something further with you, please give us a call at (407) 349-0959. The Natural Lands Program encourages all visitors to frequently visit recently burned sites to view the rapid growth of forage in habitats that have been burned. See the photos below for proof of this rapid phenomenon.