Use current fire management best practices: Restore pitch pine woodlands

Restore pitch pine woodlands
It is believed that native forests, functioning as they have evolved to over time, will provide the most resilient forests.  Pitch pine-scrub oak forests are a unique part of Massachusetts' landscape and are home to a number of rare moths. This type of forest is fire-dependent, which means that it needs periodic fires to regenerate itself. Without periodic fires, these forests turn into closed-canopy white pine and red maple forests.

Where politically feasible, a prescribed burn will help to maintain this important and unique forest type and may be the most efficient way to remove forest fuels before they accumulate to dangerous levels. Extreme care must be taken, including proper permitting and preparation. Contact your local fire department about fire regulations. If prescribed burns are not feasible, enhancement plantings of pitch pine may help maintain this forest type.