LAND BETWEEN THE LAKES, KY/TN - The U.S. Forest Service anticipates conducting two prescribed burns at Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area beginning Tuesday, March 29, 2016. The two areas for prescribed burning include Franklin Creek at 2,641 acres and Buffalo Trail around 2,530 acres. These prescribed burns will promote woodland conditions in the Buffalo Trail area and an oak savanna ecosystem in the Franklin Creek demonstration area. Both areas were prepped last week. Wind parameters will determine which burn block will go first. Dennis Wilson, Forest Service Forester, explained, "The Buffalo Trail burn block needs an east wind component to keep smoke off Woodlands Trace, while at Franklin, any wind direction will do. Our predominant winds come from the south/southwest direction which will keep the Franklin burn smoke off US68/KY80 highway." Wilson explained that easterly winds usually occur in the area "right before a rain or when a cold front moves in." Due to their locations, these burns will be visible from all directions coming into Land Between The Lakes. Smoke may also have variable short term effects on surrounding communities. The bulk of smoke output will last 2-3 days with less smoke each day. The Buffalo Trail prescribed burn is located west of Woodlands Trace, south of the South Bison Range. The Franklin Creek area is located east of Woodlands Trace National Scenic Byway, north of highway US68/KY80. Land Between The Lakes staff will notify local media outlets on days when prescribed burns are scheduled. Timely notices can be found at www.landbetweenthelakes.us<http://www.landbetweenthelakes.us/> on the Alerts page, or by calling 1-800-525-7077 or 270-924-2000. Both areas serve university students as part of Land Between The Lakes' environmental education outdoor classroom program. These burns will help to reestablish fire's natural role in providing wildlife habitats needed to support various species. These include songbird species such as the prairie warbler, red-headed woodpecker, eastern bluebird, yellow-breasted chat, wild turkeys and other wildlife species that rely upon early successional and forest canopy opening habitat for their life-cycle requirements. The Forest Service firefighters first scheduled these burns in December of 2015 and then again in January. Weather conditions postponed both occasions. More details about these burns and prescribed burning at Land Between The Lakes can be found at http://www.landbetweenthelakes.us/prescribed-burns-planned-for-december-at-land-between-the-lakes/. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
