When snow and sleet blanket Arkansas, the benefits of fire are on full display for most Arkansans as they remain within reach of a warm fire.
The rejuvenating effects of controlled fire are just as critical to the vibrance of many plant communities and wildlife habitat, but its use is often misunderstood, especially when used as a tool in early spring, when some birds are beginning to nest.
“The Southeast (U.S.) has a long history of naturally and culturally applied fire; except for a relatively brief period of fire suppression during European settlement, there’s always been fire in Arkansas,” Emily Roberts, Statewide Fire Program coordinator for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, said. “Arkansans are rekindling this fire history by applying prescribed fire to meet a lot of different objectives ranging from fuel reduction to wildlife habitat.”…