Polk County’s Parks and Natural Resources Division has a 340-acre prescribed burn planned within the SUMICA conservation area today. SUMICA will be closed to the public today, Aug. 27, 2024, and is expected to reopen tomorrow, Aug. 28, 2024.
According to Polk-county.net, “(The acronym) stands for Societe Universelle Mining Industrie, Commerce et Agriculture, a French company that had timber rights to the land. The town of SUMICA, established in 1917, thrived on lumbering and turpentine.”
SUMICA is in southeast Polk County, along the northeastern shore of lake Walk-in-Water. At SUMICA, a 4,031 acre wilderness preserve, visitors can expect to see Florida wild turkey, Bachman’s sparrow, towhees and short-tailed hawks. Located near Lake Wales, SUMICA has 3 trails providing a total of 9.1 miles of through pine flatwoods, oak hammock and marsh habitats.
The prescribed burn is being conducted for ecological purposes. Prescribed fires protect conservation lands from uncontrolled wildfires and support the health of Polk County’s ecosystems. Polk County’s Parks and Natural Resources Division routinely conducts prescribed burns to maintain the health and ecological function of natural areas. To learn more about prescribed burns as a land management tool, visit Polk’s Nature Discovery Center and explore hands-on interactive exhibits.
All prescribed burns are subject to being postponed or canceled due to weather or other factors.
