BRUNSWICK COUNTY — A controlled burn is planned for Brunswick County Friday, weather permitting.
The University of North Carolina Wilmington will conduct a small, controlled burn on 10 acres in its Ev-Henwood Nature Preserve, 6150 Rock Creek Road. The burn should be low intensity and occur only in the fields, not the forest.
UNCW owns the 174-acre preserve, comprising hardwood forest, creeks, fields and pond habitats.
A controlled burn is designed to decrease the chances of a more intense, hazardous wildfire by reducing the fuel load (leaf and grass litter) in the fields. It’s also necessary for the health of the more than 800 longleaf pines UNCW has been planting in Ev-Henwood on nearly 4 acres.
The university has a plan to still plant several hundred more trees, so the removal of thick grasses will allow new seedlings to thrive, a press release states.
“The burn will also maintain the old field conditions that are part of the varied ecosystems in the preserve that lead to a larger biodiversity of plants and animals,” the release continues.
Safety measures will be observed by county fire and UNCW EH&S; officials will be on alert. The burn should only occur for a portion of the day.
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