California State Park and CAL FIRE to Begin Prescribed Burns in Prairie Creek Redwoods, Sinkyone Wilderness, and Humboldt Redwoods State Parks
[Image from the Redwood National and State Parks]
October and November 2020: California State Parks, in cooperation with CAL FIRE, are planning to begin a series of prescribed burns in Prairie Creek Redwoods, Humboldt Redwoods and Sinkyone Wilderness State Parks from late October through early November. Smoke and flames may be visible from the Mattole Road and the bypass at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. CAL FIRE and State Parks crews will monitor the fire to insure it stays within the burn unit boundaries and that the burns do not affect their ability to respond to wildfires.
The prescribed burns are design d to reduce the encroachment of conifer trees and shrubs into the prairies and reduce the risk of high severity wildfires in neighboring forests. The prairies provide important wildlife habitat and are popular with park visitors for the scenic vistas they provide. These prescribed burns will continue an on-going resource management program ,designed to enhance and maintain prairie grasslands, promote forest resilience, control exotic plant species and return fire as a natural process to the Parks.
For additional information, contact Lathrop Leonard, Forester I (707) 465-7309
Join the discussion! For rules visit: https://kymkemp.com/commenting-rules
Comments system how-to: https://wpdiscuz.com/community/postid/10599/
Finally some proper forest management. Nice to see their finally being proactive in protecting our environment. If they would have been doing this earlier it will save multiple lives lost due too wildfires. Thank you thank you thank you.
Absolutely!
They have been burning the prairies at Prairie Creek (Elk Meadow) and up on Bald Hills in RNP for several years – at least 20 in the case of Bald Hills
Elk meadows even has a literal sign that says they burn it and why.
Burning prairies is not at all going to help the fires that happen in the forest, fuel reduction in the forests needs to be done.
Why do they want to do it now? We’ve had enough smoke in the air…not healthy!
When do you recommend?
Forestry Management ? Nope.
This is burning to maintain an ‘artificial’ grassland environment. Good for tourists I reckon.
Continuation of a process likely started by the Indians long ago.
Removes er… intruding ‘forests’.
They have done controlled burns in HRSP many times but not for fire prevention. They do it to maintain the open meadows that used to be “controlled” by elk. It seems that this is a very poor choice of timing as we are so obviously still in fire season.
Agreed. Wait until after a significant rain.
The Sinkyone has been in the thick fog since yesterday.
These State Park fools burn under the guise of hazardous fuels reduction where it is clearly an effort to burn for resource benefits. Head out to one of these burns and take in the leftover stench of unburned diesel from their effort.
****STATE PARKS – When you have to use 100 gallons of gas/diesel mixture to get the grass to burn, maybe you’ve missed your burn window!!! Doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure this one out.