Forest service plans controlled burn on Moat Mountain to maintain rare plant community

A controlled burn will be conducted in the Moat Mountain area of White Mountain National Forest as a way to maintain a rare plant community.The plant community has been identified by botanists from the White Mountain National Forest and New Hampshire Natural Heritage Inventory on forest service land in Conway. The 150-plus acres of mixed pine and oak woodlands lies south of Birch Hill Road and northwest of Dandiview Road.Historically, certain plant communities developed and adapted to periodic wildfires. Now that fire suppression is much more successful than it has been in the past, some natural communities dependent on periodic fire are in danger of disappearing. There are indications of this change already occurring in the Moats. Pitch pine and scrub oak, for example, are present in the area but are slowly being replaced by other species.This controlled, or prescribed, burn is part of a larger project including thinning to increase growing space for the desired pine and oak species. Combining these burn and thin treatments will maximize effectiveness to achieve the objective of restoring the species and community of mixed pine and oaks that the Moats, and New Hampshire, are losing.Another objective for prescribed burning this area is to reduce the amount of burnable material that could support a wildfire near residential communities. Some homes in Birch Hill and Cedar Creek are immediately adjacent to the national forest. Controlled burns are kept at low intensity, as opposed to some wildfires, which can burn into the forest canopy and spread quickly. Prescribed fire is a good way to consume hazardous fuels under controlled circumstances, helping to prevent the spread of future wildfires.Prescribed fire, set intentionally and safely under predetermined conditions, is used across the country to achieve a variety of land-management objectives. The White Mountain National Forest burns approximately 200 acres each season for purposes of ecosystem maintenance and restoration, wildlife habitat creation and maintenance, and hazardous fuels reduction. A prescribed burn is conducted under very specific weather conditions to ensure the objectives of the burn are safely met with low risk of escape. A prescribed fire will not be set unless all required conditions are met and qualified burn crew personnel and equipment are present.Because of the uncertainty of weather, exact timing of the burn is unknown, but White Mountain National Forest expects to be ready to burn 30 acres in the Moat region sometime in May.District Ranger Terry Miller commented that the districts employees have been planning the project for some time.We knew that there would be interest in this prescribed fire, so we brought the neighborhood people and local fire department together last fall to discuss our objectives," Miller said. "There was strong support and understanding of the project goal.The North Conway Fire Department is aware of the project and is working with White Mountain National Forest specialists to ensure public safety during these burns. The day of the burn will be announced. Residents who live immediately adjacent to the burn area will be notified the morning before the start of the burn. Informational flyers on prescribed burning are available at the Saco Ranger District, 33 Kancamagus Highway Conway, NH 03818 or by calling 447-5448.