NEWBERRY, Mich. (AP) -- An expert says jack pine trees probably will be the first to bounce back after a major wildfire in the Upper Peninsula.
Keith Magnusson of the Department of Natural Resources says cones from jack pine need intense heat to release seeds. He tells Mlive.com (http://bit.ly/JTMS4V) that seeds are everywhere as a result of the Duck Lake Fire in Luce County.
The fire burned slightly more than 21,000 acres, much of the land owned by the state of Michigan. Magnusson says the DNR needs to assess the health of the soil before deciding whether to plant new trees. The fire zone included hemlock, birch and red maple.
As for the trees that remain, the DNR is checking to see if they'll live or if they should be sold to loggers.
