The Game Commission plans to use prescribed fire this spring to improve forest and wildlife habitat on several State Game Lands in Dauphin County and Schuylkill County.

The use of prescribed fire, sometimes referred to as a controlled burn, is very different from a “wild fire.” In fact, properly conducted prescribed fire can reduce the potential fuel load – such as leaf litter, pine needles and twigs on the forest floor – it also can decrease the chance of a catastrophic wildfire being ignited by a lightning strike or by a cigarette carelessly tossed on the ground.

With a prescribed fire, safety is the first consideration in the process, from the planning through the implementation. A safe and effective prescribed burn is very dependent on both site and weather conditions. An anticipated burn window is established between time periods when optimum site and weather conditions could be present.

The anticipated burn window for the prescribed fires opens the end of March and will run through October 2013, with a spring burn being the preferred time frame. As more exact weather and site conditions become known, the window for the burn is narrowed.

The public will be notified of the burn window status through the Game Commission website.

The specific areas to be treated with prescribed burns are:

-- SGL 210 – Dauphin Co., Jefferson Twp – 271 acres – Referred to as the Scarlet Lady Burn

-- SGL 326 – Schuylkill Co., Blythe Twp - 240 acres – Referred to as the Wolf Creek Burn

-- SGL 217 – Schuylkill Co., West Penn Twp – 52 acres – Referred to as the Baer Rocks, Unit 1 Burn

-- SGL 217 – Schuylkill Co., West Penn Twp – 138 acres – Referred to as the Baer Rocks, Unit 2 Burn

The majority of these State Game Lands are forested, with oak being a major component. For more information, visit the Game Commission’s Southeast Regional webpage.

(Reprinted from DCNR’s April 3 Resource newsletter.)

4/8/2013