Bill Text: NJ AR69 | 2022-2023 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges DEP to develop and adopt rules and regulations to implement "Prescribed Burn Act."
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-02-07 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Agriculture and Food Security Committee [AR69 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2022-AR69-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman RONALD S. DANCER
District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Urges DEP to develop and adopt rules and regulations to implement "Prescribed Burn Act."
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Assembly Resolution urging the Department of Environmental Protection to develop and adopt rules and regulations necessary to implement the "Prescribed Burn Act."
Whereas, In 2018, the Governor and Legislature passed P.L.2018, c.107 (C.13:9-44.11 et seq.), known as the "Prescribed Burn Act" which authorizes and promotes the continued use of prescribed burning for public safety, wildfire control, and ecological, silvicultural, agricultural, and natural resource management purposes; and
Whereas, Uncontrolled forest fires are extremely dangerous as they don't just remove trees; they kill and displace wildlife, alter water cycles and soil fertility, and endanger the lives and livelihoods of local communities; and
Whereas, Prescribed burning is a public safety tool which is designed to reduce the danger of uncontrolled wildfire; and
Whereas, Prescribed burning reduces naturally occurring vegetative fuels within forested areas and other types of ecosystems, and thereby lessens the risk and severity of major wildfire and the possible resulting loss of life and property; and
Whereas, Forested land, agricultural land, grassland, coastal marshland, and other open lands constitute significant economic, biological, and aesthetic resources of Statewide importance; and
Whereas, Wildfire has shaped the Pine Barrens ecosystem for thousands of years; the plants that are found there have evolved to survive in the Pinelands' highly acidic, nutrient poor and fire-prone conditions; wildfires were common, especially during the summer months, before modern humans began suppressing them; and
Whereas, Many native species in the Pinelands, like the pitch pine, have developed strategies for survival in these harsh conditions; and
Whereas, Over time and across the landscape, wildfires can help create open areas of the forest where some of the most beautiful and interesting wildflowers are found; and
Whereas, Over the last century, fire suppression has changed the scale and frequency of this disturbance and the role it plays in succession; the vast amount of fire suppression in the Pinelands impacts the survival of herbaceous species of plants and may eventually lead to a change in composition of tree species in the Pinelands; and
Whereas, Changes in forest composition from pine dominated forest to oak dominated forest has already occurred in the Pinelands around developments that have suppressed fire for decades; and
Whereas, The ecology of the Pinelands region in particular, requires periodic fire for maintenance of ecological integrity and proper prescribed burning on those lands serves to reduce hazardous accumulations of wildland fire fuels, prepares sites for both natural and artificial forest regeneration, improves wildlife habitat, controls insects and disease, and perpetuates fire dependent ecosystems; and that proper application of prescribed burning is essential to the existence, continuation, restoration, and management of many plant and animal communities, and the resulting vegetative growth benefits rare, threatened, and endangered species, songbirds, and other game and nongame species; and
Whereas, Natural wildfires have always been a natural part of life for our native forests and wetlands; however, people have suppressed wildfires which has allowed invasive plants to out-compete native grasses and flowers, therefore reducing plant and animal diversity; and
Whereas, One of the most notable prescribed burn benefits is to maintain the health of an existing forest; the fire helps to manage weeds and other growth and can also help restore nutrients, lead to more desirable plant growth in the future, and ensure the forests' long-term survival; and
Whereas, The "Prescribed Burn Act" allows for the use of prescribed burns for ecological goals in addition to fire safety, and offers greater protections to private land owners that look to use prescribed burns on their properties; and
Whereas, This law can increase the opportunities to use fire as a management tool and improve the stewardship of Pinelands forests; and
Whereas, The Department of Environmental Protection is urged to develop and adopt rules and regulations necessary to implement the "Prescribed Burn Act"; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House respectfully urges the Commissioner of Environmental Protection to develop and adopt rules and regulations necessary to implement the "Prescribed Burn Act" (C.13:9-44.11 et seq.).
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection.
STATEMENT
This resolution urges the Department of Environmental Protection to develop and adopt rules and regulations to implement the "Prescribed Burn Act."
Forested land, agricultural land, grassland, coastal marshland, and other open lands constitute significant economic, biological, and aesthetic resources of Statewide importance. Wildfire has shaped the Pine Barrens ecosystem for thousands of years. The plants that are found there have evolved to survive in the Pinelands' highly acidic, nutrient poor and fire-prone conditions. Wildfires were common, especially during the summer months, before modern humans began suppressing them. Many native species in the Pinelands, like the pitch pine, have developed strategies for survival in these harsh conditions. Over time and across the landscape, wildfires can help create open areas of the forest where some of the most beautiful and interesting wildflowers can be found. Over the last century, fire suppression has changed the scale and frequency of this disturbance and the role it plays in succession. The vast amount of fire suppression in the Pinelands impacts the survival of herbaceous species of plants and may eventually lead to a change in composition of tree species in the Pinelands. Changes in forest composition from pine dominated forest to oak dominated forest has already occurred in the Pinelands around developments that have suppressed fire for decades.
The ecology of the Pinelands region in particular requires periodic fire for maintenance of ecological integrity and proper prescribed burning on those lands serves to reduce hazardous accumulations of wildland fire fuels, prepares sites for both natural and artificial forest regeneration, improves wildlife habitat, controls insects and disease, and perpetuates fire dependent ecosystems. Proper application of prescribed burning is essential to the existence, continuation, restoration, and management of many plant and animal communities. The resulting vegetative growth benefits the region's rare, threatened, and endangered species, songbirds, and other game and nongame species. As such, one of the most notable prescribed burn benefits is to maintain the health of an existing forest. The fire helps manage weeds and other growth, can also help restore nutrients, and lead to more desirable plant growth in the future and ensure the forests long-term survival. Further, prescribed burning is a public safety tool that reduces the danger of uncontrolled wildfire. Prescribed burning reduces naturally occurring vegetative fuels within forested areas and other types of ecosystems, and thereby lessens the risk and severity of major wildfire and the possible resulting loss of life and property.
Legislation, referred to as the "Prescribed Burn Act," P.L.2018, c.107 (C.13:9-44.11 et seq.) was enacted to authorize and promote the continued use of prescribed burning for public safety, wildfire control, and ecological, silvicultural, agricultural, and natural resource management purposes. The "Prescribed Burn Act" allows for the use of prescribed burns for ecological goals in addition to fire safety, and offers greater protections to private land owners that look to use prescribed burns on their properties. This law can increase the opportunities to use fire as a management tool and improve the stewardship of Pinelands forests.
