Prescribed burning set at Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge

Delaware State News
Posted 3/6/21

MILTON — A prescribed burning is slated to take place at the Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge beginning Monday through mid-March.

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Prescribed burning set at Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge

Posted

MILTON — A prescribed burning is slated to take place at Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge Monday through mid-March.

Prime Hook, in partnership with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s zone fire staff, local fire departments and the Delaware Forest Service, began a landscape-burning program on the refuge in March 2017. 

This year’s plan includes a total of nearly 900 acres throughout the refuge, including the Headquarters Area, which will tentatively take place Monday through March 19. It will be contingent upon optimal burn conditions. The refuge is just off Del. 16, near Broadkill Beach, at 11978 Turkle Pond Road, Milton.

The purposes for this year’s burn will be to set back field succession to early stages, to benefit grassland dwelling birds, to counteract against undesired nonnative plant species and to remove accumulated wildland hazardous fuels as previously anticipated in the refuge’s comprehensive conservation plan.

The use of prescribed fire is an effective and cost-efficient method to accomplish these objectives, officials said. 

Trained prescribed-burning specialists will conduct these burns. Weather conditions such as rainfall, wind speed and wind direction will determine if and when the burning will occur.

The refuge’s website will be updated appropriately to inform the public regarding daily burn plans.

The Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge consists of over 10,163 acres of marsh, forest and uplands along the Delaware Bay between Slaughter Beach and Broadkill Beach. For more information, call 684-8419 or visit Prime Hook’s website.

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