Controlled Burns Help Maintain Habitat of Endangered Species

Orlando, Fla. – OUC—The Reliable One has conducted a “prescribed burn” today on 70 acres of forested grounds at Stanton Energy Center (SEC) in east Orange County. The burn is one of several that will be carried as weather permits. This past Tuesday, February 22, another prescribed burn was conducted on the Southwest quadrant.

Prescribed burns are designed to maintain essential habitat necessary for the survival of the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker. Done under the supervision of a trained crew equipped with water tankers and hoses, these controlled burns are required by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in conjunction with the United States Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Today’s burn isolated vegetation on the Southwest quadrant of SEC’s 1,200-acre nature preserve. Click here for more information on how OUC’s protects wildlife and their habitats at SEC.

View the Southwest Quadrant Map

About OUC— The Reliable One
Established in 1923 by a special act of the Florida Legislature, OUC—The Reliable One is the second largest municipal utility in Florida. OUC provides electric and water services to more than 400,000 customer accounts in Orlando, St. Cloud and parts of unincorporated Orange and Osceola counties.