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Flagler County forestry supervisor says prescribed burns, species surveys reduced wildfire risk and revealed rare populations
Summary
Ralph Risch, Flagler County forestry supervisor, described the county's use of prescribed fire to reduce fuel loads and restore fire‑dependent habitats, and recounted recent vouchering that identified dozens of previously undocumented plants and several striped newt breeding ponds across county preserves.
Ralph Risch, Flagler County forestry supervisor, said prescribed burns and on‑the‑ground surveys have reduced fuel loads near neighborhoods and uncovered previously undocumented populations of plants and amphibians on county lands.
“Most Florida upland habitats are fire dependent, not just fire prone,” Risch said, explaining that regular, planned burns keep fuel levels low and maintain the ecological conditions required by many native species.
Risch told Flagler in Focus listeners that Flagler County manages roughly 10,000–11,000 acres of natural lands directly or under management agreements, and that some parcels are owned by other entities and leased or managed by the county. He noted Grama Swamp as an example of a large tract (about 3,400 acres) owned by the St. Johns River Water Management District but managed by Flagler County staff.
Why burns matter: Risch described how long intervals without fire…
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