An 11-person team from the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) will help Morgan-Monroe and Yellowwood state forests staff administer a series of prescribed fires to help restore oak-hickory forest ecosystems, now through April 15, weather permitting.

Native Americans and then European settlers routinely burned the forest. This type of forest management spanned thousands of years, shaping Indiana’s oak-hickory ecosystems of today.

“These forests are currently changing over to a different species composition dominated by American beech and maples,” said State Forester Jack Seifert. “Doing such burns promotes biodiversity.”

The NCCC and its FEMA Corps unit engages up to 2,800 young Americans in a full-time, 10-month commitment to service each year. AmeriCorps NCCC members address critical needs related to natural and other disasters, infrastructure improvement, environmental stewardship and conservation, and urban and rural development. FEMA Corps members are solely dedicated to disaster preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery work. The programs are administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS).

CNCS is the federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through its AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and Volunteer Generation Fund programs (www.nationalservice.gov).

Public outreach events about the prescribed-fire season will be held at the property office on March 29 and April 18. The property office for Morgan-Monroe State Forest & Yellowwood State Forest is at 6220 Forest Road Martinsville, IN 46151, yellowwoodsf@dnr.IN.gov, 765-342-4026.

Media contact: Mike Spalding, Resource Specialist, DNR Forestry, 765-349-5610.