A Milestone Burn at Pearl Jackson Crosstimbers Preserve
Years of planning and collaboration led to the first prescribed burn at the preserve, marking an important step forward for conservation.
The first prescribed burn at Pearl Jackson Crosstimbers Preserve was two and a half years in the making.
Reaching this milestone began with building a prescribed burn program from the ground up. This meant our team at Pearl Jackson Crosstimbers Preserve needed to install firebreaks and create burn plans, fire management plans and a wildfire response plan while also obtaining equipment and fire engines and securing approval from our fire manager.
Just as important was what was happening beyond the preserve. TNC worked to build relationships with neighbors, local volunteer fire departments and other community stakeholders, adapting its approach and keeping the community informed and involved throughout the process.
Together, these efforts resulted in the first prescribed burn at Pearl Jackson Crosstimbers Preserve and established a program that can support the continued use of fire as a management tool in the years ahead.
This first controlled burn at Pearl Jackson Crosstimbers Preserve represented a milestone for the preserve and the chapter. The shared commitment and professionalism demonstrated by all 15 TNC staff members who came out to assist and train other firefighters was incredible.
Bringing Fire Back to the Cross Timbers
Fire has long been part of the Cross Timbers ecosystem, a landscape characterized by drought-tolerant post oaks, blackjack oaks and native prairie understories. Returning fire to this landscape can help maintain the prairie, oak savanna and woodland habitats found throughout the preserve.
The first prescribed burn advanced several management goals, including working toward a natural fire return interval of two to five years. It also helped reduce fuel loads that can contribute to severe wildfires and manage invasive plants and encroaching woody species such as sumac, persimmon and blackberry, creating more space for a diversity of native grasses and wildflowers to thrive.
Prescribed burns are also one of the most effective and cost-efficient tools available for managing habitat across large landscapes, making fire an important part of the preserve’s long-term management.
Creating a Mosaic of Habitat
Prescribed burns can also help create a variety of habitat conditions across the preserve.
Burning different areas at different times creates a patchwork, or mosaic, of burned and unburned habitat. This variety provides nesting, foraging and shelter opportunities for birds, pollinators, small mammals and other wildlife that depend on these different conditions.
Over time, continuing to use fire across the preserve can help maintain this mix of habitats and support a more diverse Cross Timbers landscape.
A Chapter-Wide Effort
While the burn marked a first for Pearl Jackson Crosstimbers Preserve, its significance extended across TNC Oklahoma.
Fifteen TNC Oklahoma employees participated, more chapter staff than had taken part in any previous prescribed burn in the chapter’s history. It was also the first prescribed burn in Oklahoma, outside of those conducted at Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, to be staffed entirely by TNC employees.
The burn at Pearl Jackson Crosstimbers Preserve represents an important step in strengthening the chapter’s ability to conduct prescribed burns elsewhere in Oklahoma.
That achievement was made possible by staff from across the chapter. Team members from Pearl Jackson Crosstimbers Preserve, the Blue Boggy Preserves, J.T. Nickel Family Nature and Wildlife Preserve, Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve and the Oklahoma Chapter office contributed their time and expertise to this burn.
With the first burn complete and a prescribed burn program now established, the team is looking ahead. The hope is that this will be the first of many prescribed burns that help care for Pearl Jackson Crosstimbers Preserve in the years ahead.
I am so grateful for and impressed by the team effort that went into preparation and implementation of this historic burn. We are excited to continue the success and look forward to conducting additional safe and effective burns at Crosstimbers Preserve.
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