Section 425.2 - Legislative declaration and findingsThe General Assembly declares that prescribed burning is a land management tool that benefits the safety of the public, the environment and the economy of this Commonwealth. Therefore, the General Assembly finds that:
(1) Prescribed burning reduces naturally occurring vegetative fuels. Reducing the fuel load reduces the risk and severity of wildfires, thereby reducing the threat of loss of life and property.(2) Public agencies and nongovernmental organizations in this Commonwealth have invested millions of dollars to purchase land for parks, wildlife areas, State forests, nature preserves and other outdoor recreational purposes. For many of these public and private lands, the use of prescribed burning is essential to maintain specific resource values for which the areas were acquired.(3) Forests, grasslands and other natural areas in this Commonwealth constitute significant economic, biological and aesthetic resources of Statewide importance. Prescribed burning prepares sites for planting; removes undesirable competing vegetation; accelerates nutrient cycling; controls certain insect pests, pathogens and noxious weeds; and promotes oak regeneration. In these communities, prescribed burning improves and maintains the quality and quantity of wildlife habitats.(4) Many of this Commonwealth's natural communities require periodic fire for maintenance of their ecological health. Prescribed burning is essential to the perpetuation, restoration and management of many plant and animal communities. Significant loss of this Commonwealth's biological diversity will occur if fire is excluded from these fire-dependent and fire-adapted communities.(5) Proper training in the purposes, use and application of prescribed burning is necessary to ensure maximum benefits and protection for the public.(6) Prescribed burning in the hands of trained, skilled and experienced people is safe and often represents one of the most cost-effective management techniques to accomplish many ecosystem restoration objectives and ecological goals.(7) As development and urbanization increase in many areas of this Commonwealth, concerns about potential liability and nuisance complaints may inhibit the use of prescribed burning as a conservation and safety tool.2009, July 14, P.L. 76, No. 17, § 2, imd. effective.