Prescribed burns planned in Greenbrier County
GREENBRIER COUNTY, WV (WVNS) — Prescribed burns are planned in Greenbrier County on Sunday, April 7, 2024 and Monday, April 8, 2024.
Depending on the weather, prescribed burns are planned for Meadow Creek and Rucker Gap, south of Lake Sherwood in Greenbrier County, by the Monongahela National Forest.
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243 total acres are included in Meadow Creek Unit 1, located off Forest Road 721, and Meadow Creek Unit 2, located off Forest Road 883, both of which are west of County Route 14/1 (Lake Sherwood Road).
The prescribed burn for Rucker Gap is 384 acres and is off Forest Road 882, east of County Route 14/1.
Wildlife habitats will be helped because the burns will help make conditions favorable for oak trees, as oak trees and what they produce, such as acorns, are good for a variety of animals.
Fires burn dead leaves that are on the ground, giving acorns a chance to sprout and grow. However, less burns meant that trees and shrubs grow denser which made it more difficult for oaks to grow as they need more sunlight than trees such as maples.
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Not only do prescribed burns help trees like oak grow, but it also reduces the chance of wildfires because the burns will get rid of burnable material under controlled and monitored conditions. Prescribed burns have specific guidelines followed by the Monongahela National Forest, and if the conditions are not right then the burn will be rescheduled.
On the days of and possibly for a couple days following the burn, the Meadow Creek and Rucker Gap burn areas will be closed to the public. There will be signs on roads near the burn areas before and during the prescribed burns, and people in the area could see and smell smoke around the days of the burns.
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