LBL Officials Consider More Burn Sites

By Carrie Pond

Murray, KY – The public has until November 10th to comment on five new targeted project areas for prescribed fires in Land Between the Lakes. Area Fire Manager Jim McCoy says the U-S Forest Service is considering almost 5 thousand acres of land for the burns, including sites near the Buffalo Trail and Crooked Creek. Officials hope to reduce dead materials like leaves and other debris, promote the growth of certain vegetation, and reduce the growth of non-native and intrusive plant species. Though there's always a chance the fires could burn more than anticipated, McCoy says in the 20 years L-B-L officials have conducted these low-burning fires, none have gotten out of control. He says the fires are crucial to improving the quality of open land vegetation that benefits much of the area's wildlife.