DEEP Will Conduct Prescribed Burn At Matianuck Preserve Sand Dune

WINDSOR, CT — Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection plans to conduct "prescribed burns" at three of the state's parks this season — and Matianuck Natural Area Preserve in Windsor is among them.

DEEP will burn a 1.5-acre section of NAP's 3.5-acre grassy sand dune sometime this spring, weather- and conditions-permitting, officials said. An exact date has not been announced.

The preserve will be closed to public access while the burn is taking place, and officials said anyone nearby may see rising smoke during the process.

The preserve's dunes are among the last remaining sand plain habitats in Connecticut, and the burn is designed to sustain and enhance their value to wildlife, especially the area's rare species, DEEP said.

"The measure also ensures these habitats persist as they would have naturally with periodic low-intensity fires," DEEP said in a news release.

Prescribed burns — also known as controlled burns — have several purposes. Among them is preserving pitch pine sand plain forest (like the one in Windsor), which DEEP said is one of the state's "most imperiled ecosystems."

DEEP relayed its plans for the burn to Windsor's municipal leaders and fire departments, and its forestry division personnel will use an operational and safety plan to ensure they're safe and effective, officials said.