By Justin Bigos, Vermont Standard Staff Writer
Beginning this month and continuing through May, 28 acres of a grass wildlife opening near the Woodstock/Pomfret town line will be burned by the federal Green Mountain National Forest as part of a larger prescribed fire operation of over nearly 1,000 acres in southern Vermont. The area near the Woodstock/Pomfret town line is named the AT Upper Lewis, and it is located where the Appalachian Trail (AT) crosses Route 12.
“We estimate this work to continue through the spring as weather conditions allow. We use prescribed fires to help reduce overgrown vegetation to help protect local communities, infrastructure and natural resources from wildfires,” states a press release dated March 24 from Green Mountain National Forest, part of the USDA.
Ryan Hughes, forest fire management officer for the Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests, told the Standard this week why this particular area was chosen: “The Forest Service is using prescribed fire in this location as a management tool to reduce heavy accumulations of grass and brush, which will also help to reduce the potential for large uncontrollable wildfires. These efforts allow us to restore critical wildlife habitat, regenerate early successional growth, and improve overall watershed conditions on the National Forest in Vermont.”
Of the larger reasons for the prescribed fires (which are sometimes called prescribed burns or controlled burns), as well as plans to continue these operations in the future, Hughes said, “Prescribed fire restores declining wildlife habitat and improves watershed conditions. The areas planned for burning are now overgrown with thick brush and have been identified by the Forest Service as being critical wildlife habitat. Plants in the area used as forage by wildlife have become coarse, dense, and overcrowded. The post-fire landscape will support a more diverse variety of grasses and forbs, which will be more palatable and nutritious for wildlife species.”
“We evaluate units throughout the National Forest regularly to determine the need and frequency for using prescribed fire. The Forest Service uses prescribed fire as a tool to manage approximately 700 acres of the Green Mountain National Forest annually,” Hughes added.
Hughes explained that prior to each area being burned, the area is prepped thoroughly. “Prior to each prescribed fire, crews will have already prepared the burn area by constructing control lines on the ground. During ignition, crews will further secure the burn perimeter by ‘blacklining’ — a method of applying fire to a strip of vegetation immediately inside the control lines — to create a wide barrier that contains the fire within the designated area. Once the blacklining area is secure, firefighters will use ignition devices to light vegetation in the interior of the burn area,” said Hughes.
While some prescribed fires may last for only a single day, he said, others can last for several days, depending on weather conditions and the objectives for the prescribed fires. “The timing of each prescribed fire depends heavily on weather and vegetation conditions that meet very specifically defined limits — called the ‘prescription’ — so the ignition dates are subject to some adjustment, though the overall ‘burn window’ is not likely to exceed more than six weeks,” he said.
“The Forest Service will announce additional details on burn locations closer to the date of planned ignition. If a burn cannot be completed during the designated burn window, or soon after, it will likely be postponed until the fall of 2026 or the following spring,” Hughes said.
As far as the public impact of the fires, and what the public should know about these burns, especially regarding safety, Hughes emphasized a low expected impact, combined with sensible caution around visible smoke. “The prescribed fires are not likely to impact local residents, although smoke will be visible from the surrounding area and adjacent landowners may smell smoke. Occasionally, smoke will impact roads immediately adjacent to the prescribed burn. The public should be prepared to slow down and proceed with great caution if they enter areas of heavy smoke. Smoke impacts to roads should be of short duration,” he said.
“The Forest Service does coordinate with state and local first responders to meet our prescribed fire objectives. Each burn site will be closed to the public, and access will be limited for the duration of prescribed fire activities. If it is necessary to temporarily close Forest roads and trails, the Forest Service will notify the public of these closures by posting signs. Such closures will be subject to modification based on the actual date of ignition during the burn window. Firefighter and public safety will be the highest priority for each prescribed fire. The Forest Service serves as the lead agency for all prescribed fires on National Forest system lands and works to coordinate and train supporting agencies as necessary,” said Hughes.
A map from the AT Upper Lewis controlled burn unit, which shows the area of 28 acres of grass wildlife opening near the Woodstock/Pomfret town line, can be view here. Courtesy of the U.S. Forest Service