Boyd Hill Nature Preserve Controlled Burn Clears 94 Acres

Clearwater fire managers burned 94 acres at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve on Tuesday as part of routine habitat management. The prescribed burn, conducted with Kissimmee Valley Foresters, targeted five units across the preserve.

Controlled burns reduce fuel loads that could feed wildfires, minimize pest insects and disease, and restore native plants like wiregrass and milkweed. Fire-dependent species including gopher tortoises depend on the burned landscape for food and habitat. Without periodic burns, shrubs and trees shade out low-growing plants that wildlife rely on for shelter and food.