From the National Forests of North Carolina:

BURNSVILLE, N.C. – The USDA Forest Service plans to implement two prescribed burns near the areas of Max Patch and Harmon Den in Haywood County between now and early December, depending on the weather.

The Forest Service’s Appalachian Ranger District of the Pisgah National Forest plans to burn a total of 950 acres on National Forest land in two separate prescribed burns. Signs will be posted to alert area residents about the Cherry Creek Burn. Both fires will help control woody debris and promote forest growth.

The Forest Service will burn approximately 500 acres in the Cherry Creek area. The boundary is Harmon Den Road to Cherry Creek Trail.

A 450-acre prescribed fire is scheduled to occur in Max Patch. The boundary line will be Max Patch Road to Buckeye Ridge Horse Trail.

Prescribed fire is a valuable wildlife and forest management tool. Many ecosystems throughout North Carolina include fire-adapted species. Numerous native plants and animals need fire in their habitats to reduce competition from invading species, and to add nutrients back into the soil.

Prescribed burns can reduce buildup of shrubs and dead wood. Burning the same tract of land on a rotation of every three to seven years reduces the buildup of vegetation (fuel), decreasing the chance of severe wildfire. Smoke from wildfires usually has a greater impact on nearby communities and carries more pollutants than smoke from prescribed burns. Prescribed burning also helps support strategic goals of restoring ecological systems to their natural resilience, restoring native vegetation, and protecting people and resources from catastrophic fires.

For more information, contact the Appalachian Ranger District at 828-682-6146. Information about the National Forests in North Carolina is available at http://www.fs.usda.gov/nfsnc. For more information on prescribed fire, visit the USDA Forest Service website; http://www.fs.fed.us/fire/management/.