Using Prescribed Fire to Enhance Appearance

Prescribed fire can be used to improve recreation and aesthetic values. For example, burning maintains open stands, produces vegetative changes, and increases numbers and visibility of flowering annuals and biennials. Burning also maintains open spaces such as mountain balds, and creates vistas. Unburned islands increase vegetative diversity, which attracts a wider variety of birds and animals. A practical way to maintain many visually attractive vegetative communities and perpetuate many endangered plant species is through periodic use of prescribed fire.

Using fire to manage landscapes and enhance scenic values requires judiciously planned and executed burns, especially where exposure to the public is great. Burning techniques can be modified along roads and in other heavily used areas to ensure low flame heights, which in turn will reduce crown scorch and bark char while still opening up the stand and giving an unrestricted view.

See also: Fire and Aesthetics.