What You Need to Know About Prescribed Burns

From time to time, you may notice some smoke in the air around Point Hope. Chances are, this is from prescribed burns that are conducted on heavily wooded property near Point Hope at certain times of year as part of forest management activities on the Cainhoy peninsula and in Francis Marion National Forest. When weather and wind conditions permit, these carefully planned burns are used to responsibly manage forested property and to maintain the health of the habitat. These burns only occur when conditions ensure they can be executed safely and without threat of spreading to developed areas.

Trained forestry professionals use controlled burning to serve multiple objectives here and around the country. Benefits include reduction of leaf litter and dead branch hazards, aiding in the recycling of nutrients into the soil to promote health new growth, suppressing hardwood growth in pine-dominated habitats, and managing wildlife, including habitats for species listed under the Endangered Species Act.

The POA office will be notified in advance when prescribed burns are scheduled to take place. If you smell smoke nearby and are concerned, please don’t hesitate to contact our office at 843-352-3150 or poa@pointhopecharleston.com to confirm that burning is scheduled to take place in the vicinity.