Controlled burn planned for local longleaf pine forest

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — People who live in and near longleaf pine forests from the sandhills to the coast will soon start seeing smoke as The Nature Conservancy and its conservation partners conduct controlled burns to restore the forest.

These fires are designed to knock back shrubs and other vegetation, allowing plants such as Venus Flytraps to thrive on the forest floor. Controlled burns also reduce ticks and remove vegetation that can fuel large damaging wildfires, according to a press release.

Most controlled burns are conducted January through May, although some burning will continue through the summer months and into the fall.