Sustain healthy ecosystems safely
By Tyler Mitchell
Today, organizations prescribe fires to maintain certain ecosystems—and much like your doctor who prescribes medicine for certain reasons and tells you how to take them—prescribed fire is used to achieve certain goals with a specific set of guidelines for each prescription.
The Huron-Clinton Metroparks in southeast Michigan maintain 25,000 acres of public park land across five counties. The Metroparks Natural Resources Department manages undeveloped land in all 13 Metroparks. The goal is to restore significant elements of natural diversity while balancing ecological stewardship with compatible recreational uses. By carefully utilizing prescribed burns, the Metroparks are able to maintain healthy ecosystems in many of the natural environments that otherwise would shift to non-native or homogenous makeup. The prescribed fire program began in 2002 and currently burns about 250 acres annually. Burn units are generally on a three- to five-year rotation, and staff burn roughly 12 units a year.