Shared by Sarah Cangialosi, as Guest Blogger.

Virginia State Park rangers get tasked with a broad variety of duties. One of the most unique though is being responsible for setting their parks on fire. Hold on now, before we get too ahead of ourselves, its ok for them to do it…even a good thing!

Weeks of planning goes into the prescribed fires within Virginia State Parks, communicating with different agencies such as the National Weather Service and Virginia Department of Forestry. Humidity, wind, and fuel moisture are just a few of the things that are closely monitored to make sure everything is safe and will make for a productive burn.

An extensive burn plan is written out to explain every detail of what will be required to make the burn successful. Safety of the crew members is of utmost importance, as well as the safety of the natural resources they manage, park visitors, park property and any neighboring properties.

Now for the “why”-- fire is a natural, healthy, and very important tool in natural resource management. It contributes to new growth and unique animal habitats by suppressing growth of certain types of vegetation and stimulating growth of other types. Controlled burns also help reduce hazardous fuel loads.

Some parks do understory (forest) burns to suppress the growth of mesic species (e.g. American beech, red maple, tulip poplar) and encourage the growth of fire-adapted species such as oaks and hickories. Some parks have acres of warm season grasses which are a great habitat for lots of critters, many of which you’ll see in your trip to the park. Bobwhite Quail, White tailed deer, rabbits, mice and even bears.  Burning the grasses helps protect the prey species by removing thatch, which hinders the movement of small animals between grass plants, if allowed to build up.

Over the next few months, state park district resource specialists will be watching and waiting for just the right “prescription” to initiate the burns. Not all parks participate in prescribed burns, but if you see charred fields or forest, ask a ranger! I’m sure they’d love to explain this unique aspect of their responsibilities in managing natural resources.