Press release from the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources:
RALEIGH, N.C. — The N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation and the N.C. Forest Service plan to conduct multiple prescribed burns at Lake James State Park from mid-December through April. According to Park Superintendent Nora Coffey, the specific dates of the burns will depend on local weather conditions.
The prescribed burns will be conducted on sections totaling approximately 1,000 acres at the park’s Catawba River Area and the Paddy’s Creek Area, including on Long Arm Peninsula. Some visitor areas and trails may be temporarily closed during the prescribed burns, and aerial ignition may be used in some instances.
A public discussion about the use of prescribed fire at Lake James State Park will be held Dec. 18 at 6:30 p.m. at the Catawba River Area office.
Prescribed burns are used as a resource management tool in many locations by the state parks system. Some plant communities and animal species rely on periodic fire for their existence. The prescribed burns also reduce the amount of potential wildfire fuel and help protect a park’s resources and neighboring landowners if lightning, arson or carelessness sparks a wildfire.
In order to minimize smoke and assure the fire is controlled, the low-intensity, prescribed burn will only be carried out under strictly defined weather conditions of a fire management plan. On the selected day, the burn will begin in the late morning and will likely end by mid-afternoon.
About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources:
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state’s natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina. Led by Secretary Susan Kluttz, NCDNCR’s mission is to improve the quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries and nature in North Carolina by stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state’s history, conserving the state’s natural heritage, encouraging recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development.
NCDNCR includes 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, two science museums, three aquariums and Jennette’s Pier, 39 state parks and recreation areas, the N.C. Zoo, the nation’s first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, State Preservation Office and the Office of State Archaeology, along with the Division of Land and Water Stewardship. For more information, please call (919) 807-7300 or visit www.ncdcr.gov.
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