While wildfires raged across the western United States earlier this year, Florida has remained under the radar when it comes to catastrophic fires in 2006.

One reason the Sunshine State has enjoyed such a low-key year is partly due to a prescribed fire regimen on state-managed forestland. To help offset the costs associated with prescribed fire, the National Wild Turkey Federation has donated $17,355 in Florida since 2002. Nationwide, the NWTF has spent nearly $250,000 to help fund prescribed fire as a land management tool since 2002.

"We have one of the largest prescribed burning programs in the country," said Heather Callahan, public affairs officer for Florida's national forests. "About 1,000 new people move to Florida every day, and as more and more people move into the state, more houses are built close to forestland. With a strong prescribed fire regimen, we can hopefully deter situations like they're having out West."

Prescribed burns are safe, cool-burning and manageable fires that burn pine needles and dead branches on the ground, which can build to dangerous levels and lead to catastrophic wildfires. Each year, state and federal land management agencies team up with nonprofit conservation groups, such as the NWTF, to fund prescribed burns.

In 2005, federal land managers used prescribed fire to burn 139,000 acres of land and only had 6,050 acres burned because of wildfire. Compared to 1978, when USFS employees prescribed burned 35,170 acres and wildfires burned more than 36,000, it's easy to see how prescribed fire helps.

"Prescribed burning is a great way to keep large wildfires from happening," said Dennis Daniel, USDA Forest Service national Making Tracks coordinator. "Managing our forests with cool-burning prescribed fires makes better wildlife habitat and keeps our neighbors safe. This is a great example of what happens when conservation groups unite forces with state and federal agencies."

Because Florida has such a warm climate, plants grow nearly year-round and without prescribed burning, forests and grasslands in the Sunshine State are very vulnerable to wildfire. When the dry, summer months come, the ground is covered with dried plants and brush, which acts as tinder when introduced to fire, usually caused by lightning.

To complicate matters, Florida has more lightning strikes each year than any other state in the nation. Also, more homes are being built in forested areas each year - areas that are very prone to severe wildfire if left unmanaged.

"Prescribed fire is a necessity in active land management," said Dr. James Earl Kennamer, NWTF's senior vice president of conservation programs. "When you can mimic a burn that took place naturally in the forest's history, you make forests safer and improve wildlife habitat - everyone benefits. Each year, we work with state and federal land managers to help fund prescribed fire projects, but in the past, litigation has held up prescribed burns and other fuel-reducing projects on many national forests. Fire is part of nature and everyone suffers when fire is excluded."

A Plan to Help
Since 2002, NWTF state and local chapters have spent nearly $250,000 to help fund prescribed fire projects. Through the NWTF's Hunting Heritage Super Fund, volunteers donate money to further the work government agencies do on the ground.

"Our volunteers really believe in keeping the forests healthy," Kennamer said. "They know that in order for their kids and grandchildren to enjoy what we have now, they have to help get work done on the ground."

As nonprofit conservation groups continue to work with state and federal wildlife and land management agencies, the trend of devastating wildfires will decline. However, our forests must be actively managed or catastrophic wildfires will continue to unnecessarily burn homes, property and forests.

For more information about prescribed burning in Florida, contact NWTF Regional Biologist Brian Zielinski at (386) 740-7107. For information about the NWTF, call (800) THE-NWTF.

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