Burning the meadow: Many landowners interested in controlled burns but how does it work?

This February, Mike Elliott held a drip torch over the edge of the meadow in front of his house, and dropped flaming fuel onto the dry grass and plants. Fire rose high into the air. A curving line of flames rolled quickly through the field — devouring the dry foliage and leaving smoldering ash behind.

Elliott had done controlled burns before and he had help — a crew of five, including four people from Conserving Carolina. The conditions weren’t too windy or too dry. They’d made a careful burn plan and gotten a burn permit. They’d mowed a wide strip around the meadow as a fire break. They had water ready in case the blaze moved out of bounds.

Still, he says, “You're always nervous burning a big area.”

Torry Nergart, Conserving Carolina’s Stewardship Manager, who supported the burn, says, “If I’m cool while doing that, then I need to be analyzed.”

Elliott is a conservation landowner in Quebec — a stretch of rural Transylvania County between Rosman and Lake Toxaway. When he and his wife, Marsha, bought the 94-acre property 12 years ago, it came with a conservation easement. That meant the property had strictly limited development rights, but that suited them fine. The Elliotts like that the land is protected and adjoins more private conservation land, which in turn links to Gorges State Park. It’s a special place, with the Eastern Continental Divide as a property boundary. Most of their land is forested, with varied habitats including a creek and a vernal pool popular with frogs and salamanders. The previous owners had also created this 1.5-acre meadow.

The large meadow was a perfect fit for Elliott’s interests as a beekeeper. He’s been keeping honeybees for 25 years. After moving to Transylvania County in retirement, he started the small business Pure Pisgah Honey, which is now headed by his son Matt Elliott, who lives nearby. Matt’s wife, Lindsey, also uses the beeswax to create soap and candles. Their 10 year old son, Silas, has also been known to don a head net and help with the hives.

Elliott bushhogged the meadow every year, but he still found that tulip poplars and blackberries were choking out the grasses and wildflowers. If mowing couldn’t knock them back, he wanted to try a controlled burn. He had previously done a controlled burn on a forested property in Georgia, and the previous owners had burned this meadow, over a decade ago.

Burning isn’t part of Torry Nergart’s job on a day-to-day basis. As Stewardship Manager, he’s responsible for visiting properties where Conserving Carolina holds easements to make sure that everyone is following the rules. When landowners put a property under conservation easement, they protect its resources forever, even after the land changes hands. There’s a public investment in these private lands, through tax incentives and other measures, and land trusts like Conserving Carolina take on the responsibility to make sure that conservation promises are being kept.

While monitoring conservation properties, Nergart can also walk the property with landowners and talk with them about the plants and animals living there, how the land is changing, what they hope to see, and how they can make it happen. When he’s able, Nergart supports these landowners with projects that advance their conservation goals.

And he wanted to be a part of this controlled burn.

Not only would burning the meadow improve habitat for Elliott’s bees, but it would support a wide range of species, bringing back biodiversity that in so many places is slipping away. And this site is a vital edge habitat — allowing wildlife to access the benefits of both the meadow and the forest. “The edge is where the action is,” said Nergart.

In February, Elliott burned the meadow with support from four members of Conserving Carolina’s crew — Torry Nergart, Hans Lohmeyer, Ruth Cumberland and AmeriCorps member Elizabeth Nash.

The burn left the ground black and bare, but only a few weeks later, fresh sprouts emerged. This summer, the meadow is far lusher than last year, with dense growth, taller than a person.

“Everything got weeded and fertilized,” said Nergart. “It really liked it.”

The fire “weeded” by making room for seedlings to come up. And it “fertilized” by breaking down old vegetation quickly, returning nutrients to the ground.

One burn wasn’t enough to achieve all of Elliott’s goals for reducing the tulip poplars and blackberries, but repeated burns likely will.

In July, deep purple ironweed, orange butterfly weed, white Culver’s root, and bright yellow senna were all blooming. Lavendar bee balm was abundant — and true to its name, was a favorite of the bees. Grasses like big bluestem flourished, filling in spaces between flowers and drawing pollinators to their own subtle, tiny blossoms. Turk’s cap lilies put out cascades of showy blooms. Up next, masses of sunflowers were getting ready to burst open, which would draw flocks of appreciative goldfinches.

Like Elliott, many landowners in Western North Carolina are exploring their relationship with fire. Historically, both Native people and European settlers managed land with fire, but for over a century, fire suppression was the norm across the country. As a result, dead wood and other fuels built up. In combination with more extreme heat and drought from climate change, that has led to catastrophic wildfires. During the drought in the Carolinas last fall, numerous wildfires burned in the mountains. Controlled burns can reduce the risk of raging wildfires, while offering other benefits in a landscape where life evolved with fire.

Good Fire Q&A

If you’re a WNC landowner and you’re curious about “good fire,” you might have some of these questions:

Why do a controlled burn?

The purpose depends on your property and your goals. Controlled burns can reduce wildfire risk by reducing fuel in a forest. Fire can be used to control invasive plants or to thin overgrown stands. Some tree species such as oaks and hickories regenerate more successfully after fire, which clears the shrub layer so light can reach the forest floor. Meadow plants, like grasses and forbs, flourish after fires.

Is it legal to burn your own land in North Carolina?

Burning may be limited by regulations related to air quality or wildfire risk. In addition, landowners risk liability if they set a fire that harms people or property. But the NC Prescribed Burning Act provides substantial legal protection if you take steps that include involving someone who is a certified prescribed burner, filing a burn plan, getting a permit and having safety measures in place.

What steps do you need to take to do a controlled burn safely?

It takes specialized knowledge to conduct a burn safely, which you can gain by taking a certified burner training through the NC Forest Service (NCFS). The NCFS sums up safety guidelines as follows: 1) Make a plan. 2) Know the weather. 3) Establish fire breaks. 4) Burn when weather conditions will disperse smoke. 5) Light a small test fire first. 6) Ensure that the fire remains within fire lines.

Can you hire experts to do a controlled burn for you?

Yes. The NCFS is available to conduct controlled burns for rates of $35-$50 per acre (with a $350 minimum charge) although there may be a waiting list. In addition, the NCFS maintains a list of private companies that manage controlled burns.

Do controlled burns hurt wildlife?

Wildlife evolved with fire and have ways to respond. In most cases, animals can flee, burrow underground, or find shelter, although in some cases, animals may be harmed or displaced. A well-planned burn can enhance habitat, with the end result that wildlife populations are more abundant and thriving.

Learn more

Visit the N.C. Forest Service website at www.ncforestservice.gov/goodfire.

Rose Jenkins Lane is the communications director for Conserving Carolina, a land trust based in Hendersonville.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Burning the meadow: Many landowners interested in controlled burns but how does it work?