Invasive Species ‘Feel the Burn’ at Valley Forge Park

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Image via Pete Bannan, Digital First Media.

National Park Service crews used a prescribed fire burn at Valley Forge National Historical Park, along the border between Chester and Montgomery counties, to control invasive species, writes Pete Bannan for The Norristown Times Herald.

The 14-member team wore fire-resistant clothing as they used small, lantern-sized burners to ignite sections of brush.

The process started with a test burn to determine whether the conditions and humidity were right. The flames were monitored by backup teams that used ATVs with water pumps to control those that flared up quickly.

William Crolly, Mid-Atlantic fire management officer for the National Park Service, said that five separate units were slated to undergo the procedure. The first was 60 acres near the National Arch and Wayne’s Woods.

He said that the prescribed burn had three main functions, including preventing wildfires, clearing invasive species, and controlling the landscape to ensure that vistas remain open for visitors to enjoy.

The estimated costs for the operation were $150 an acre, paid for by the National Park Service’s fuels management program.

Read more about the prescribed burn at Valley Forge Park in The Norristown Times Herald here.

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