• International News Archives
• National News Archives
• News Archives by State

Maryland

Maryland

Chesapeake Marshlands Refuge Complex Completes the Mechanical Reduction of Forest Fuels

2005

Garcia Forestry recently completed a fuels reduction contract for $110,700 for the mechanical treatment of 900 acres at Chesapeake Marshlands National Wildlife Refuge Complex in Maryland. The contract called for chainsaw thinning of 17 forested stands surrounding the refuge complex to support hazardous fuels reduction and habitat restoration near communities in the wildlands urban interface, or fire-prone areas near public lands. Communities at risk included: Madison, Smithville, Robbins, Maple Dam Road, Bucktown/Greenbriar and Shorters Wharf.

Many private landowners, local volunteer fire departments and state collaborative partners were involved in this project. Its objectives include reducing excess fuels loads, decreasing the risk of wildfires, providing defensible space near communities, improving road access and safety for firefighters, and promoting habitat improvement and healthy forest lands.

The components of this project demonstrate exactly what the National Fire Plan calls for: contracting, mechanical fuels reduction, community protection, and state and local collaboration. This is the first and largest project of its kind in the region, and provides an ideal future demonstration site to promote the mechanical reduction of forest fuels.

back to headlines

Back to News Archives

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages public land in every U.S. state and territory, including 547 national wildlife refuges and 69 national fish hatcheries.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages 75 million burnable acres, including 24 million acres of forest/brushland and 4 million acres of grassland.

More than 50% of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands in the continental U.S. (and more than 90% in Alaska) include fire-adapted ecosystems with vegetation dependent on periodic fire.

An average of 500 wildfires burn 260,000 acres each year on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands. The Service also burns about 300,000 acres a year using prescribed fire.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service annual fire program budget is approximately $80 million.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employs more than 530 permanent fire professionals, along with 270 seasonal and temporary fire employees during fire season.

More than 3,000 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees are qualified to assist with wildland fire management on an interagency basis.

The U.S. Fish and Wildland Service Fire Management Program protects more than 700 communities and wildland-urban interface areas.

Historically, an acre was the amount of land tillable by one man behind an ox in one day. This measures 90% of a football field. There are 640 acres in a square mile.

More than 90% of the hazardous fuels reduction by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is completed using prescribed fire.