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Forest Service News Release

Media Contact: 

Tina White, (304) 520-1723

christina.white2@usda.gov

Monongahela National Forest 

Plans to Conduct Prescribed Burns in Greenbrier County

Elkins, W.Va., April 5, 2024 — Monongahela National Forest plans to burn Meadow Creek and Rucker Gap prescribed burns units on Sunday, April 7 and Monday, April 8, if weather permits. All three burn areas are south of Lake Sherwood in Greenbrier County.

Meadow Creek Unit 1, located off Forest Road 721, and Meadow Creek Unit 2, located off Forest Road 883, are both west of County Route 14/1 (Lake Sherwood Road) and contain 243 acres, total. Rucker Gap Prescribed Burn is located off Forest Road 882, east of County Route 14/1, and contains 384 acres.

These managed burns enhance wildlife habitat by creating conditions that favor oak trees. Many animals depend on oak for food, eating acorns, leaves and even bark. Oak tree regeneration is a cycle. Mature oaks produce acorns, those acorns need to germinate into young oaks, and young oaks need enough sunlight to grow up and mature. 

In the past, West Virginia oak ecosystems had widely spaced oaks allowing sunlight between the trees. Fires ignited by Native Americans, European settlers, and lightning helped maintain open forests of oak, chestnut, and pine. These fires burned dead leaves on the ground which allowed acorns to sprout (and survive) in soil rather than in layers of leaves. Reduced fire activity during the 20th century increased tree and shrub densities, creating more shade on the forest floor and a deeper layer of dead leaves. This hindered oak regeneration and favored tree species whose seedlings can grow in the shade, like maples. These shade-loving trees do not provide the same kind or amount of food for animals to eat as oak trees. 

Prescribed burning also reduces the risk of catastrophic wildfires by consuming burnable material on the forest floor under specific weather and fuel conditions. This keeps the burn manageable. Monongahela National Forest follows strict guidelines for conducting prescribed burns, and takes into consideration environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, smoke dispersion and wind. If any environmental conditions are not within limits, the burn will be postponed.

To ensure public safety, both the Meadow Creek and Rucker Gap burn areas will be closed to the public on the day of the burn and may be closed for several days after. Signs will be posted on roads near the burn area before and during operations. Residents and forest visitors may see and smell smoke for several days. If you encounter smoke on the highway, slow down, turn on your vehicle’s lights and drive appropriately for the conditions.

Local radio stations will be alerted to burn activities ahead of time. When burning begins, information, photos, and maps will be available at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident-information/wvmof-monongahela-national-forest-spring-2024-prescribed-fire-operations.

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