The Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting “controlled, prescribed burns” during the rest of November and throughout December and January on the District’s Upper Hillsborough property in Pasco County.
The Upper Hillsborough property is approximately one mile east of Zephyrhills. The scheduled, managed burns are a part of routine maintenance of lands managed by the District. Approximately 500 acres of land will be burned in small, manageable units.
According to District Land Manager Kevin W. Love, burns are implemented to mimic natural fire cycles under a controlled situation. The object is to avoid uncontrolled wildfires and enhance the area’s natural conditions by maintaining the ecological and wildlife habitat values. Prescribed burns are only conducted when weather conditions allow the objectives to be met while minimizing possible impacts to the public.
Every effort will be made to ensure that smoke does not affect homes or highways. However, vehicle operators should exercise caution in case smoke does lead to reduced visibility on the area’s roads or highways.
To meet various water management needs, the District has acquired approximately 350,000 acres of environmentally sensitive and water resource related lands through the State’s Save Our Rivers and Preservation 2000 programs.