PEDRO — Wayne National Forest officials are planning to conduct prescribed burn within the next few weeks.

Depending on weather conditions, the burn is planned for sometime between Monday, March 19 through Friday, April 20 and would involve 1,659 acres in Decatur and Elizabeth townships in Lawrence County and Bloom and Vernon townships Scioto County.

According to a prepared statement, forestry officials want to keep oak-hickory forests from losing their dominance on the landscape in southeast Ohio. This forest type is fire dependent, meaning occasional prescribed burning actually helps them out compete other species of trees like shade loving maple and beech.  Through the use of prescribed burning, the forest service is creating conditions that allow young oak and hickory trees to thrive. A forest with oak and hickory trees provide critical habitat to a variety of wildlife species such as squirrel, deer and turkey.

Forestry officials said in the prepared statement they have taken “significant preparations” for the prescribed burn, including “physical visits to neighboring communities and homes to talk about the project and what residents might expect. There are hundreds of feet of fire line several feet wide that have been constructed in order to provide the highest degree of safety. The fire lines also connect to roads and trails to provide protection.”