Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam and the Florida Forest Service recently announced that more than 204,000 acres of Florida state forests were treated with prescribed fire last year. Prescribed fire is a safe way to apply a natural process, ensure ecosystem health and reduce wildfire risk — and Florida leads the nation in acres treated with prescribed fire.
“The Florida Forest Service is a national leader in prescribed fire and administers one of the top prescribed fire programs in the country,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam. “Prescribed fire keeps Florida’s natural habitats healthy and helps protect Florida residents and visitors by reducing the wildfire risk.”
Prescribed fire is an important land management tool used to reduce the buildup of flammable plant materials that fuel and intensify dangerous wildfires, increasing the safety for surrounding areas. In addition, many of Florida’s plant and animal communities are dependent on the regular occurrence of fire for a healthy existence. Prescribed fires mimic this natural process, returning nutrients to the soil, providing improved forage for wildlife and livestock, and helping control plant and tree diseases.
“Although the Florida Forest Service consistently achieves high prescribed fire numbers, safety and quality of work are our larger goals,” said Jim Karels, Florida State Forester. “We take fire seriously and conduct all of our prescribed burns in a deliberate, careful and smart manner.”
The Florida Forest Service, a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, manages more than 1 million acres of public forest land while protecting homes, forestland and natural resources from the devastating effects of wildfire on more than 26 million acres.
From the Florida Dept. Of Agriculture: https://www.freshfromflorida.com/News-Events/Press-Releases/2016-Press-Releases/Florida-Forest-Service-Treats-204-000-Acres-of-State-Forests-with-Prescribed-Fire