Bridging history and ecology: Fire management strategies at Cold Harbor Battlefield

When implemented under carefully planned conditions, prescribed fire can effectively be used to reduce the buildup of hazardous wildland fuels in the wildland urban interface. NPS

Richmond National Battlefield Park’s Cold Harbor battlefield, once a rural setting and the site of a historic clash between Civil War armies, is now encroached by urban development. This “wildland urban interface (WUI),” along with changes in ecosystem processes and the uncertainty of climate futures, creates significant challenges for park and fire managers. They must navigate these complexities while achieving various park objectives, including managing historic landscapes, reducing wildfire fuel, and adapting natural environments to climate change.

In 2024, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) provided approximately $18,500 in funding for prescribed fire and mechanical thinning at Cold Harbor Battlefield. These initiatives reduced hazardous fuels on 32 acres while preserving the historic battlefield's appearance and protecting Civil War-era earthworks, wetlands and their buffers. The success of these efforts inspired park and fire managers to make plans for treating another 37 acres of the battlefield.

Left image

Monitoring plot photo showing the buildup of dense vegetation and surface fuels prior to treatment with prescribed fire and mechanical thinning.

Credit: NPS

Right image

Photo of the same monitoring plot showing a reduction in vegetation and surface fuels following treatment with prescribed fire and mechanical thinning. Piles of vegetation will be burned under carefully planned conditions.

Credit: NPS

Planning for these efforts requires the collaboration of park managers and fire management teams and uses science-based tools such as Climate Futures Summaries. In addition to BIL, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) also aided the park to take these steps. These resources help NPS employees to identify targeted fire management strategies and future ecosystem objectives.

The main goal of these initiatives is to keep nearby communities safe from wildfires, bolster the resilience of Cold Harbor’s forests and grasslands and prepare for increasing extremes of temperature, precipitation and drought. Through strategic planning and implementation, active management of the Cold Harbor Battlefield helps NPS to achieve its mission to preserve its historical significance while adapting to contemporary environmental challenges.

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