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Happy Incorporation of Hudson's Bay Co. (1670) 🍁🦫🪓
Okefenokee on fire. 5/3/17
- Thread starter yellowcanoe
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Guess it's time to call my friends down there and see how they're doing. I knew about the fires in FL but hadn't realized it had moved up to the edge of the swamp. Most of my paddling is done out of the Folkston entrance but you can still see evidence of the fires that raged over there not long ago. I know that environment and those habitats are based on fire but it's still a bit depressing to see what's left when all is finally put out.
That's all for now. Take care and until next time..be well.
snapper
That's all for now. Take care and until next time..be well.
snapper
seems our either our forestry managers don't understand the necessity for a robust prescribed burn program or they are hampered in their efforts via politics or budgets and/or both or something else. As an avid outdoors man for roughly 50 years in Fl I constantly see wild lands long overdue for a burn in my hunting and fishing escapades. Fire is a natural reset for these ecosystems and also reduces the likelihood of these massive and uncontrollable fires. Sure drought is a factor coupled with arson in far too many cases too, but decades of overgrown understory exacerbates the wild fire problem and is actually something we have some control over in mitigate these risks. So instead of healthy regrowth we end up with more long term and wide spread destruction of these lands. Even the Native Indians of Fl were wise enough to start fires when lightening storms weren't getting it done...
Yep, well said... same story here... burns in many places that are managed for their natural values, like Algonquin park, are usually seen as a bad thing and must be put out ASAP. Further north, where there's less development and people, fires might be left to burn themselves out naturally.
The long-term effect in protected areas might be to shift forest composition towards more shade-tolerant species, pine forests being replaced by sugar maple especially, or hemlock, or fir or spruce. Or logging might be allowed to mimic the effect of fires.
In southern Ontario, IIRC the effect of burning forests intentionally by natives was to increase the amount of wildlife feeding on the pioneering species that colonized the burnt over lands, which in turn improved the prospects for hunting and gathering.
There are some prescribed burns going on in some protected places... in Toronto, the black oak savannah forests have been recognized as rare and valuable and since the old growth oaks and pines depended on burns for their existence, there are burns being carried out again. Here's one at the north edge of the park just south of Bloor street.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03Rx-Gh3t9Y
The long-term effect in protected areas might be to shift forest composition towards more shade-tolerant species, pine forests being replaced by sugar maple especially, or hemlock, or fir or spruce. Or logging might be allowed to mimic the effect of fires.
In southern Ontario, IIRC the effect of burning forests intentionally by natives was to increase the amount of wildlife feeding on the pioneering species that colonized the burnt over lands, which in turn improved the prospects for hunting and gathering.
There are some prescribed burns going on in some protected places... in Toronto, the black oak savannah forests have been recognized as rare and valuable and since the old growth oaks and pines depended on burns for their existence, there are burns being carried out again. Here's one at the north edge of the park just south of Bloor street.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03Rx-Gh3t9Y
We have some lovely camping islands off the Maine Coast. Many of them are sheer tinderboxes and for that reason campfires are banned.. Its virtually impossible to get boats out there to put a fire. IMO this approach is not ideal. Historically natives and island owners used to have small deliberate burns to control the tinder but also just to burn the entire island to let it come back for pasture for livestock.
(thats why we have lots of Sheep, Ram and Goat islands and a few Hogs too)
(thats why we have lots of Sheep, Ram and Goat islands and a few Hogs too)
"seems our either our forestry managers don't understand the necessity for a robust prescribed burn program or they are hampered in their efforts via politics or budgets and/or both or something else."
I get down to the Ocala National forest alot and have a chance to talk to the Forest Staff and volunteers. According to them it's not politics or budgets that are the problem but the weather, or I should say lack of rain. While parts of Florida is getting some rain a lot of the state isn't. Just look at how many counties has burn bans and wildfires right now. Where I live in Nassau county we have had burn ban in place since April and it probably won't be lifted until we have a tropical storm or hurricane come thru.
Kayak_Ken ( in a canoe)
I get down to the Ocala National forest alot and have a chance to talk to the Forest Staff and volunteers. According to them it's not politics or budgets that are the problem but the weather, or I should say lack of rain. While parts of Florida is getting some rain a lot of the state isn't. Just look at how many counties has burn bans and wildfires right now. Where I live in Nassau county we have had burn ban in place since April and it probably won't be lifted until we have a tropical storm or hurricane come thru.
Kayak_Ken ( in a canoe)
