Prescribed Fires Covered 214,559 Acres In 2 National Forests

Friday, May 18th 2007, 8:36 am

By: News On 6

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (AP) _ The U.S. Forest Service says prescribed burns during the spring to regenerate woodlands and rid them of wildfire fuel covered 214,559 acres in two national forests in Arkansas and Oklahoma.

The main office at Hot Springs for the Ouachita National Forest in western Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma issued a report Thursday on the 2007 prescribed burning season. The report covered both that forest and the Ozark-Saint Francis National Forest in northern and eastern Arkansas.

The news release said the acreage total for the two national forests breaks down to 145,702 acres burned in the Ouachita forest and 68,857 acres in the Ozark-Saint Francis forest.

The release said the burns were carried out to achieve an array of ecological benefits, including fuel reduction, wildlife-habitat enhancement and overall forest health.