SAVE OUR MARSHLANDS FROM FIRE by EHJV staff 
     
    
   
   
    
     Each year, Islanders unintentionally destroy the nests of our 
     
     most familiar duck species, the black duck. Our marshes and the 
     
     wildlife species associated with them face the danger of 
     
     destruction every spring from fire. The previous year’s plant 
     
     foliage, especially cattail and low shrubs, provide vital cover for 
     
     many nesting waterfowl, songbirds, and small mammals. Fire at this 
     
     time of year destroys this important c0Ver as well as nests and 
     
     eggs of early nesters such as black ducks and pintails. These 
     
     species may be establishing their nests even as the snow is 
     
     melting. Songbirds nesting in bush, shrubs, or grasses will also 
     
     have nests destroyed when fire passes through the marsh. 
     
    

    
     Spring on Prince Edward Island 
     
     has traditionally been marked by 
     
     smoke from grass and brush fires set 
     
     by landowners to rid the ground of. 
     
    
   
   
    
     dead vegetation. It is now known 
     
     that repeated burning of vegetation 
     
     reduces organic material. Whether 
     
    
   
   
    
     it destroys the seeds of unwanted 
     
     vegetation as is commonly believed 
     
     is debated. It does provide seed 
     
     beds for plants requiring exposed 
     
     soil or minimal litter levels, e.g. 
     
     early succession woody plants. This 
     
     trait thus defeats the purpose for which many people burn. 
     
    

    
     Each year, many people concerned with habitat improvement and 
     
     protection spend considerable resources on marshlands. Marshes are 
     
     very productive areas which provide vital habitat for food and 
     
     supplies for many species of wildlife and commercial fish. Marsh 
     
     burning is particularly destructive to birds nesting on the ground 
     
     or in low vegetation. Black ducks nesting early in the spring are 
     
     often more productive, producing larger broods than birds nesting 
     
     later in the spring. Unfortunately, these early nesting birds are 
     
     at a greater risk from unwisely set fires. Quality wetland habitat 
     
     is already under pressure from infilling and siltation. Marsh 
     
     burning and the burning of cover near marshes in spring is just one 
     
     more unnecessary practice which limits wildlife production. 
     
    

    
     Blueberry producers who use fire to manage blueberries should 
     
     take necessary precautions to prevent fires from spreading to 
     
     nearby marshes. Anyone knowing of marshes being deliberately 
     
     burned should. contact their local conservation officer of the 
     
     Department of Environmental Resources. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     Editor’s Note: The Fire Prevention Act of Prince Edward Island 
     
     requires all individuals conducting controlled burns in or near dry 
     
     vegetable matter to have a burning permit between March 15th and 
     
     December 1st inclusive. These permits may be obtained at you local 
     
     Forestry District Office and they restrict the conditions under 
     
     which a fire may be conducted. A revision to this legislation is 
     
     currently before the Legislative Assembly. 
     
    
   
   
    
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