WHEREAS, prescribed burning is the skilled application of fire under planned weather and fuel conditions to achieve specific management objectives; and
WHEREAS, many plants, game, nongame, threatened and endangered wildlife species require fire for their survival and to enhance their habitat; and
WHEREAS, many of North Carolina’s natural ecosystems are fire-dependent and periodic fires occurring as often as every one to five years in the Coastal Plain and Piedmont regions are essential, and every seven to ten years in the mountains for their restoration and management; and
WHEREAS, as a vital tool in the management of North Carolina’s woodlands, grasslands, and wildlife, prescribed fire is the most effective and economical protection against the risk and severity of wildfires through the reduction of fuels which accumulate in the absence of fire and is therefore critical to the ecological integrity of our natural lands and for reducing the loss of life and property; and
WHEREAS, the forestlands of the Old North State represent economic, biological and aesthetic resources of exceptional significance; and
WHEREAS, prescribed burning of these forestlands aids the preparation of these sites for replanting and natural seeding, to control insects and diseases, to increase productivity and decrease the risk of catastrophic wildfires; and
WHEREAS, the forest sector is the top employer among manufacturing sectors in the state, contributing nearly $35 billion annually in industry output to the state’s economy and providing more than 148,000 jobs for North Carolinians; and
WHEREAS, as of 2019, North Carolina has 18.75 million acres of forestland, including state and national forest, military lands, wildlife refuges, nature preserves, game lands and private lands; and prescribed fire is one of the fundamental methods to achieve numerous management objectives in fire dependent ecosystems that evolved with recurring fire and therefore are dependent on recurring fire for maintenance;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim February 2022, as “PRESCRIBED FIRE AWARENESS MONTH” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.