Army Corps announces prescribed burns planned for Raystown Lake

Published Nov. 3, 2020
Updated: Nov. 3, 2020

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, and Pennsylvania Game Commission plan to implement prescribed fire management at Raystown Lake from Nov. 4 to Dec. 18, depending upon small windows of appropriate weather to ensure they are safe and effective.

Prescribed fire is a critical management tool for fuel-load reduction, control of invasive species, increased herbaceous growth, promotion of fire-dependent species (i.e., oak and hard pine species), and grassland management.

The primary burn unit, near gate 36, is a 118-acre forested burn. This area contains several different forest types with limited access. It provides a unique opportunity to utilize prescribed fire as the primary management tool. Due to these factors, gate 36 unit is well-suited for healthy fire-adapted forests since two watersides surround it. It utilizes an existing road and the Terrace Mountain Trail as a firebreak on the southeast side.

Planning of these prescribed fires accomplishes the PA Game Commission’s and USACE’s land management objectives.

For more information, visit https://www.nab.usace.army.mil/Missions/Dams-Recreation/Raystown/Natural-Resources/ or call 814-658-6807.


Contact
Glenn Werner, Forester Raystown Lake
814-658-6807
glenn.e.werner@usace.army.mil

Release no. 20-030