Governor Proclaims Prescribed Fire Awareness Month 2023

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, and 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 in the Coastal Plain, Piedmont, and Mountain regions are essential for ecosystem restoration and management; and

WHEREAS, as a vital tool in the management of North Carolina’s woodlands, grasslands, and wildlife, prescribed fire provides effective and economical protection against the risk and severity of wildfires 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 North Carolina 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 to decrease the risk of catastrophic wildfires; and

WHEREAS, the forest sector is a major employer among manufacturing sectors in the state, contributing nearly $32 billion annually in industry output to the state’s economy and providing more than 138,000 jobs for North Carolinians; and

WHEREAS, North Carolina has 18.75 million acres of forestland, including state and national forests, 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, 2023, as “PRESCRIBED FIRE AWARENESS MONTH” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.