Prescribed fires scheduled for Halpata Tastanaki Preserve, Dunnellon, FL, Oct.-Dec. 2021
Dunnellon, Florida - Setting prescribed fires in controlled settings can reduce the risk of wildfires burning out of control, as many Floridians witnessed during the state’s wildfire emergency in 2017, and that’s why the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns during October through December 2021, on approximately 800 acres of the 8,146-acres Halpata Tastanaki Preserve. The acerage will be burned in small, manageable units.
The preserve's physical address is listed as 15430 SW County Road 484 in Dunnellon (Marion County), Florida. It's located 2 miles east of the city of Dunnellon and 7 miles northeast of the city of Hernando, bounded by County Road 484 on the north, State Road 200 on the southeast and the Withlacoochee River on the southwest.
The Southwest Florida Water Management District conducts prescribed fires on approximately 30,000 acres each year.
Some major benefits of prescribed fire include:
• Reducing overgrown plants, which decreases the risk of catastrophic wildfires.
• Promoting the growth of new, diverse plants.
• Maintaining the character and condition of wildlife habitat.
• Maintaining access for public recreation.
See aerial footage from a 320 acres prescribed fire in the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve by District land management staff: vimeo.com/425526377.