Lehigh Gap Nature Center Director Dan Kunkle announced that the nature center is instituting another prescribed fire on its refuge.

A one-day prescribed fire is planned for Saturday, but the timing is dependent on weather, wind and moisture.The burn may need to be delayed if conditions for the fire are not acceptable. The possible time range for the test burn is from Saturdayto Nov. 13.The fire will encompass a 10-acre section of the grassland and be visible from Palmerton and from Route 248, just above the old Lehigh and New England Railroad bed.To effectively manage the prairie grasses, Lehigh Gap Nature Center, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, tested prescribed fire as a management tool in 2013.The fire succeeded in its management goals and a smoke study found that none of the metals that contaminate the soil were found in any smoke outside of the refuge boundaries. Therefore LGNC is allowed to continue prescribed fire management on its 756-acre refuge.A professional forestry and fire services company, Silvix LLC, is the contractor that will conduct the prescribed burn. In addition, area firefighters will be on hand to ensure that the fire does not escape its boundary area.They will also extinguish the fire completely after the burn as needed. The fire will only be conducted when westerly winds are blowing to ensure that the fire cannot spread toward houses several miles to the west in East Penn Township.Kunkle said, "We want to make sure residents of the area know that this is being done very carefully by professionals who are among the most experienced in Pennsylvania in conducting prescribed burns. Fire is an excellent ecological tool when used carefully and timed correctly."Certain rails at Lehigh Gap Nature Center will be closed to the public on the day of the fire. Call the center on Saturday or Sunday before coming to the refuge to hike.The Lehigh Gap Nature Center is a member supported, conservation organization.It is the only environmental education center in the nation that was developed on a Superfund site.For more information about the center or the test fire, contact them at 610-760-8889,

lgnc@ptd.net.