Napeague and Hither Hills Fire Management Plan

New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (NYS OPRHP) seeks an experienced and qualified burn boss to prepare a fire management plan and prescribed burn plan for Napeague and Hither Hills State Parks.

This contract will begin in May 2025 and conclude in November 2025.

Quote is for preparation of a fire management plan and a prescribed burn plan. The fire management plan will be a site-wide assessment of Napeague and Hither Hills State Parks, assessing current conditions, and recommending short-term and long-term strategies for fuel reduction and fire management. Next, a prescribed burn plan will be written for identified units, outlining staffing structure, equipment, and treatments needed to complete fuel reduction and prescribed burning on site.

The Contractor will be responsible for communicating with the lead agency, NYS OPRHP, on a regular basis until the Scope of Work is completed or deemed finished by NYS OPRHP. The project will require on-site assessments and meetings. NYS OPRHP will provide guidance and technical/logistical support throughout this project.

Napeague and Hither Hills State Parks are located in Suffolk County on the southern fork of Long Island, NY. The parks are home to approximately 671 acres of maritime pitch pine dune woodland natural community, which is designated as critically imperiled in New York State (S1) and imperiled or vulnerable globally (G2/G3). Additionally, the now state and federally endangered Northern Long-eared Bat (NLEB; S1/G2/G3) is present in both parks, along with numerous other rare, threatened, or endangered plant and animal species.??

The dense stands of pitch pine at Napeague & Hither Hills began being impacted by the expanding range of Southern Pine Beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis) in 2021. Attempts were made to suppress the expanding infestation through suppression cuts and forest thinning, during which trees were felled and left in place. Despite these efforts, the infestation spread and tens of thousands of pitch pines have been killed. In winter 2023-2024 NYS OPRHP installed fuel breaks near park boundaries to protect nearby residences, and in winter 2024-2025 NYS OPRHP began cutting dead trees to reduce potential hazards. Where appropriate, dead trees will be cut, piled, and burned to reduce fuel loads. Prescribed fire will be used to manage areas with reduced fuels to prevent future hazardous fuel loading and restore habitat.??