Prescribed fire is an important tool to maintain and restore healthy ecosystems in the Northeast. We are actively working with research partners, the state of New York, and our local community to learn and pilot techniques for prescribed burns on our demonstration site.
A unique fire-adapted ecosystem called pitch Pine-Oak-Heath Rocky Summit occurs on high rocky ridges and outcrops across our demonstration site. The plants of these landscapes coevolved with frequent fires, and they depend on fire to remain healthy. Prescribed fire will be an important part of our management system for these special lands.
In addition, prescribed fire is a useful tool to control invasive species and maintain open meadow habitats free of encroaching woody plants. We are working with partners to develop a plan and internal/external capacities to treat degraded lands with fire as part of restoring them to health and full biodiversity.
Using fire on the landscape requires expert knowledge and strong community partnerships. We are partnering with Zachary Prusak, a wildland fire training specialist with Tall Timbers, to create an approach to training for, planning, and executing prescribed fires, with a first small burn conducted on our demonstration site in 2024 and future burns in planning stages.
In New York and the Northeast, many land managers, local communities, and government agencies have a need for training, knowledge, and expertise regarding prescribed fire. New York State has expressed interest in working with more private landowners to safely pilot prescribed fire techniques that reduce dangerous fuel loads (which can drive wildfires if left unchecked) and promote biodiversity and ecosystem health.
We envision our demonstration site as a hub for training and demonstration of this important tool as we seek to engage researchers, land managers, fire departments, government agencies, and others in returning constructive prescribed fire to the Northeast.