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Fall Prescribed Burning at Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area Begins Today
Ellicott City, Md. — TThe regular fall prescribed burn season at Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area begins today, Nov. 10 and continues through Monday, Nov. 24. Eight prescribed burn sites, ranging from one to 50 acres in size, have been prepared for controlled burning.
“Prescribed burning is an essential step in restoring 1,000 acres of this native, fire-dependent grassland and oak savanna ecosystem that supports more than 35 rare, threatened, and endangered species,” stated Glenn Therres, Associate Director of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Wildlife & Heritage Service. “Regular prescribed burning also controls harmful invasive species and reduces the expansion of hazardous and highly flammable vegetation, especially dense thickets of pine and greenbrier.”
Numerous weather parameters must fall into place before burning of each site may proceed. Especially important parameters include wind speed and direction, relative humidity, air temperature, soil moisture, and fuel moisture. Areas which are not burned during this period may be carried over into the winter or spring burn seasons. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and The Nature Conservancy are assisting the Maryland Department of Natural Resources with the prescribed burn.
Soldiers Delight N.E.A. offers hikers and wildlife watchers seven miles of trails throughout 1,900 acres of rare serpentine barren habitat. For more information about Soldiers Delight N.E.A. visit http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/central/soldiers.html.
November 10, 2008 Contact: Olivia Campbell
410-260-8016 office I 410-507-7525 cell
ocampbell@dnr.state.md.usMaryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 449,000 acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 12 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov.