Prescribed burn scheduled for Perdido River Water Management Area

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Media advisory: Feb. 25, 2016
Contact: NWFWMD Public Information Office (850) 539-2663 or public.information@yopmail.com    

HAVANA –  The Northwest Florida Water Management District will conduct a prescribed burn in southwest Escambia County on Friday, Feb. 26, 2016, weather permitting. Crews will burn approximately 512 acres within the Perdido River Water Management Area between Saufley Field and Perdido Bay.

The District’s burn-certified land managers will conduct the burns, with help from the Gulf Coastal Plain Ecosystem Partnership and other local, state, and federal agencies. Although every effort will be made to ensure that smoke will not affect roadways, drivers should exercise caution in case smoke does lead to reduced visibility on the area’s roads.

Prescribed fire is an effective and efficient land management tool used to restore and protect water and natural resources. Prescribed fires, which mimic naturally occurring fires, reduce wildfire risk, enhance native vegetation, and improve wildlife habitat.

The Gulf Coastal Plain Ecosystem Partnership (GCPEP) is a public/private voluntary landowner partnership that collectively manages more than 1 million acres in northwest Florida and south Alabama. The 13 partners include the Department of Defense (Naval Air Station and Eglin Air Force Base), the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Florida Forestry Service, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Longleaf Alliance, the National Park Service, the Northwest Florida Water Management District, Gulf Power, National Forests in Alabama, the Nature Conservancy, Nokuse Plantation, Westervelt Ecological Services, and Escambia County.

The District owns and manages more than 200,000 acres to conserve and protect water and natural resources throughout northwest Florida. The Perdido River Water Management Area consists of more than 6,000 acres along the Perdido River and Bay, which helps protect wetlands and forested uplands within the Perdido watershed.