newsminer.com

Weather permitting, the state Division of Forestry will be conducting a prescribed burn on Nenana Ridge south of Fairbanks today and another controlled burn on Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge on Wednesday.

The prescribed burn at Nenana Ridge, about 30 miles south of Fairbanks off the Parks Highway, is part of a habitat improvement project sponsored by the Ruffed Grouse Society. The 30-acre burn is intended to kill mature aspen to promote new aspen growth, said Fairbanks area forester Marc Lee.

The burn serves as a training exercise for firefighters and improves habitat for ruffed grouse and moose, he said. It will be dependent on weather conditions, he said.

“We try to do it every year; some years we don’t get it done because it’s too wet,” he said. “We’ve got to create enough heat to scald the aspen and get the mortality we’re looking for.”

On Wednesday, firefighters will burn about 15 acres of grass in the fields of the northwest corner of Creamer’s Field. The Creamer’s burn is another annual event that serves a dual purpose.

“It’s a training opportunity for them and it helps get the nitrogen back in the soil,” said Laurie Boeck from the Department of Fish and Game.