ALBANY, Ga. - Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany’s Natural Resources Section is currently conducting prescribed burning of base timber.
The burning is an integral part of managing forests in southwest Georgia. Burning accomplishes multiple objectives including reducing fuel loads to mitigate wildfires, improves habitat for wildlife, and reduces populations of undesirable plants and insects.
Burning will only be done on days with favorable weather conditions. Personnel sensitive to smoke should avoid areas being burned.
Generally, 15-20 days of actual burning is needed to accomplish the mission of burning 50 percent of the timber stands throughout the base. Thirty to 40 acres is the average area burned on a typical day. There is about 725 acres of forest scheduled to be burned by the end of March.
Periodic fire tends to favor understory wildlife species, such as deer, dove and quail which require a more open habitat. A mosaic of burned and unburned areas tends to maximize “edge effect” which promotes a large and varied wildlife population.
Habitat preferences of several rare, threatened or endangered species, including the gopher tortoise and indigo snake are also enhanced by burning.