Alabama State Parks Expands Prescribed Fire Capabilities Through Grant Award

The State Parks Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) was recently awarded a $25,000 grant from the Alabama Association of Resource Conservation and Development Councils (AARCDC) to cover the purchase of prescribed fire equipment to expand its habitat restoration program.


“The new equipment increases our prescribed fire capabilities and helps us manage a variety of native habitats including the restoration of longleaf pine throughout the State Parks System,” said Evan Lawrence, Natural Resource Planner with ADCNR's State Parks Division. “We are grateful to the Alabama Association of RC&D Councils for awarding us this grant. It will allow us to make significant habitat improvements at our parks.”



The newly purchased equipment includes drip torches, blowers, a chainsaw, hand tools, safety equipment, signage, a branded trailer to store and transport the new gear and a 130-gallon water tank with a specialized pump and hose for managing the burns. The new equipment will also increase the division’s ability to reduce wildfire risks at State Parks and assist its partners with other prescribed fire projects and wildfire suppression throughout the state.


Prescribed fire is an important land and wildlife management tool used to restore and improve natural habitats. A robust controlled burn program benefits wildlife by stimulating new plant growth that serves as food for several species including wild turkey, white-tailed deer, bobwhite quail, fox squirrel, woodpeckers and bluebirds. It is also an effective way to reduce wildfire risks, control invasive plants and maintain healthy forest ecosystems.

Tasha Simon, Natural Resource Section Chief for Alabama State Parks, said the new equipment allows the division to further its conservation efforts and improve the visitor experience at the parks.



“Our Natural Resource Section manages all of the land, water, plants and animals within Alabama’s 21 State Parks,” Simon said. “Our mission is to preserve natural habitats and provide visitors with the best experience possible. The new trailer and prescribed fire equipment will help us fulfill that mission. We are thankful to the RC&D councils for this generous award.”

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