Photo By Ethan Steinquest | Marty Wilson, a forester with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, creates a fire break...... read more read more
Fort Campbell’s training area is a key resource for mission readiness, but it also provides a snapshot of Native American life from centuries ago through The Barrens.
The unique grassland is home to several wildlife species and was originally part of a 200-mile hunting stretch called the Big Barrens, according to Fort Campbell Cultural Resources. Most of that land has been lost to time, but the installation continues to preserve more than 7,000 acres within its footprint.
Controlled burns are an important part of that effort, and the Forestry Section of the Directorate of Public Works Environmental Division, lights up approximately 20,000 acres each year.
“The Barrens are what makes Fort Campbell special, and they are highly dependent on fire,” said J.P. Hart, supervisory forester, DPW. “When you take fire out of the equation, they go away, and this area’s species go with it.”
DPW primarily conducts burns in March and November as the seasons change and humidity drops. However, they can burn during most of the year under the right weather conditions.
“It pretty much burns down the fuels, and that puts nutrients back into the soil,” said Randy Slife, a non-game wildlife technician contractor.
“That opens up the seed bank and the grasslands, helps the vegetation and helps wildlife in turn. It all goes hand-in-hand,” he said.
Preparing for a safe burn involves several steps and begins well in advance, Hart said.
“We have a historical rotation, and last year we also incorporated a vegetation survey,” he said.
“We’ll go into the fields and training areas and use that as a litmus test to see if a certain place is good for a burn or not,” he said.
Crews also make sure to bring the proper protective gear and additional resources like bulldozers and are briefed on the plan before each burn.
“Our burning boss goes over step-by-step what’s going to happen,” Slife said. “Everyone’s been properly trained for whatever position they’re going to be in, and if it’s someone’s first time they’re going to go with someone that’s experienced who can teach them how it goes out there.”
Routine burns help fire-dependent species like quail maintain their habitat on Fort Campbell by keeping invasive species under control and burning excess fuel.
“They’re species of concern, so we don’t want to lose them,” Hart said. “But the great thing here is that essentially, what’s good for the bird is good for training because there are more grassy, open areas.”
Supporting the division’s training efforts is another major reason for controlled burns, said Luke Sobralski, forestry intern, DPW.
“It prevents wildfires around the training area whenever they’re using munitions like white and red phosphorus,” Sobralski said. “Those munitions typically cause some burns in the impact area, so because we burn around that impact area it creates a barrier for those fires not to escape.”
That ensures Soldiers can continue range training, and wildfire prevention may assist several units at once depending on their schedules.
“If a fire does occur, it has a lot of smoke going on,” said Jason Duncan, forestry technician, DPW. “So not only does it affect those who are firing because they can’t fire downrange, but if there are sur-rounding units training when the smoke is so heavy, they also have to stop.”
That means DPW has to make sure no Soldiers are training in the area during a controlled burn, but Duncan said the tradeoff can make all the difference when it comes to mission readiness.
“We may bite off a day or two where we’re burning and Soldiers can’t train, but that’s a couple days of sacrifice versus continuously not being able train when it comes down into the winter months,” Duncan said. “And you get an increasing habitat for the natural resources on Fort Campbell. It all has to work together.”
| Date Taken: | 03.26.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 03.26.2021 13:50 |
| Story ID: | 392383 |
| Location: | FORT CAMPBELL , KENTUCKY, US |
| Web Views: | 42 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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