You might hear that and wonder why, but there is a very good reason.

So You're Telling Me New York Really Does This?

NYS DEC
NYS DEC
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Yes, they do. Every now and then, all across New York State, Forest Rangers with a very special set of skills actually will engulf certain areas in fire. While it may seem a bit odd, it actually helps the ecosystem.

NYS DEC
NYS DEC
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Not all fires are negative events. Prescribed fire is a tool used to manage fire dependent ecosystems in a manner that develops a resilient natural balance of fire in the desired vegetation. These fires are regulated by law and regulation and require technical expertise to conduct the burns safely. - New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

 

There Are Other Reasons New York Does This

Tick bite
Smileus
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That, my friend, is a tick. The DEC also says a prescribed burn will reduce the tick population. Ticks are certainly a nagging problem New York has, and seemingly gets worse every year, so if this is a result, we should be all for the Empire State doing this.

Poison Ivy Growing on Fence Post
Jon Meier
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Another byproduct of the prescribed burns is seeing invasive plant species destroyed, which again is a pro.

Meet The Folks Who Do This For A Living

NYS DEC
NYS DEC
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Prescribed burns also can help some native species, including nesting birds, have a better habitat. They reduce the likelihood of uncontrollable  wild fires as well.

While it may seem odd that New York does this, obviously there are some really good reasons.

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To determine the most popular national parks in the United States, Stacker compiled data from the National Park Service on the number of recreational visits each site had in 2020. Keep reading to discover the 50 most popular national parks in the United States, in reverse order from #50 to #1. And be sure to check with individuals parks before you visit to find out about ongoing, pandemic-related safety precautions at www.nps.gov/coronavirus.

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Just saying the names of these towns immediately conjures up images of grand mansions, luxury cars, and ritzy restaurants. Read on to see which town in your home state took the title of the richest location and which place had the highest median income in the country. Who knows—your hometown might even be on this list.

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Every beach town has its share of pluses and minuses, which got us thinking about what makes a beach town the best one to live in. To find out, Stacker consulted data from WalletHub, released June 17, 2020, that compares U.S. beach towns. Ratings are based on six categories: affordability, weather, safety, economy, education and health, and quality of life. The cities ranged in population from 10,000 to 150,000, but they had to have at least one local beach listed on TripAdvisor. Read the full methodology here. From those rankings, we selected the top 50. Readers who live in California and Florida will be unsurprised to learn that many of towns featured here are in one of those two states.

Keep reading to see if your favorite beach town made the cut.

KEEP READING: Here are the most popular baby names in every state

Using March 2019 data from the Social Security Administration, Stacker compiled a list of the most popular names in each of the 50 states and Washington D.C., according to their 2018 SSA rankings. The top five boy names and top five girl names are listed for each state, as well as the number of babies born in 2018 with that name. Historically common names like Michael only made the top five in three states, while the less common name Harper ranks in the top five for 22 states.

Curious what names are trending in your home state? Keep reading to see if your name made the top five -- or to find inspiration for naming your baby.

READ ON: See the States Where People Live the Longest

Stacker used data from the 2020 County Health Rankings to rank every state's average life expectancy from lowest to highest. The 2020 County Health Rankings values were calculated using mortality counts from the 2016-2018 National Center for Health Statistics. The U.S. Census 2019 American Community Survey and America's Health Rankings Senior Report 2019 data were also used to provide demographics on the senior population of each state and the state's rank on senior health care, respectively.

Read on to learn the average life expectancy in each state.

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