Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection

Emergency Burn Ban In Effect 10/26/24 - An emergency burn ban is now in effect for all Connecticut State Parks, Forests, and Wildlife Management areas, prohibiting the use of all outdoor grills, firepits, and campfires, and the kindling and use of flame outdoors. DEEP and local agencies are working to contain several active fires across the state. Please avoid all affected State Parks and Forests, as well as the blue-blazed Mattabesett Trail. The Enduro Trail in Voluntown and portions of North Stonington within the Pachaug State Forest are closed at this time. Please note that today's forest fire danger report remains at an 'extreme' level. More information about the current fire danger, burn ban and recommended safety measures can be found here

Press Releases

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03/09/2021

DEEP to Conduct Prescribed Burn in Pachaug State Forest

Measure Will Renew 122 Acres to Restore Oak and Pine Forest

 

(Hartford, CT) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) plans to conduct a prescribed burn of 122 acres of forest at Pachaug State Forest tomorrow, March 10th, weather and conditions permitting.

DEEP is employing this forestry management practice to promote the development of new oak and pine forest.  This location has experienced catastrophic oak decline, with an estimated 90% of the oak trees having died due to successive years of gypsy moth defoliations, droughts, and chestnut borer infestations, the latter of which is attracted to stressed oaks. 

This burn will provide an opportunity for oak and pine to reseed naturally and DEEP’s forestry division may seed pitch pine after the burns to increase the diversity and stocking of the new stand. This management action will have the secondary benefit of reducing the risk of severe fire by decreasing the amount of the available fuels in the area. 

This is the second burn in a multi-year management effort at Pachaug State Forest, with the previous burn being conducted in February 2019. 

This plan has been communicated to municipal leaders and fire departments for Griswold and Voluntown.  Trails within this area will be closed the day of the burn and signage will be posted the day of the event.  The public may observe rising smoke as a result of this burn and weather conditions will be monitored to minimize impact in the local area.

DEEP forestry personnel will employ a detailed operational and safety plan to conduct this burn to ensure its effectiveness and safety.   

DEEP plans and administers a number of controlled burns annually for various purposes, including maintaining grassland and shrubland habitat for species in decline in Connecticut from a loss of farmland and early successional habitat.  Fire can also assist in maintaining pitch pine sand plain forest (which is one of the most imperiled ecosystems in the state), and to assist with forestry objectives such as oak regeneration, which is disturbance-dependent.  Controlled burning is a valuable tool to natural resource managers to maintain habitat and vegetative diversity.

Forest management is the application of scientific and technical principles by a certified professional in order to meet specific goals.  It takes many forms, but usually involves periodic treatments or practices which are done to change forest conditions.  Forest management uses a variety of practices, such as brush control and timber harvesting, to provide a balance of important societal and ecological forests.  More information about forest management in Connecticut is available here.

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