On Monday, November 7, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has plans to conduct prescribed, or controlled, burns on natural areas within Prairie Springs Park that are located south of River Road and away from developed areas of the park. A prescribed burn is a carefully planned and executed fire used to preserve and protect wildlife that is native to a prairie. Prescribed burns are conducted to reduce the likelihood of wildfires, add nutrients to the prairie soil, and to remove undesirable woody plants and weeds.

The DNR will work in conjunction with the Pleasant Prairie Parks and Fire & Rescue Departments to assess factors such as wind speed and direction, humidity, and grass moisture to ensure safe conditions are present prior to the prescribed burn in order to minimize inconvenience due to smoke. Areas of Prairie Springs Park to be burned are Units 1 and 2, which are located south of River Road on the far north end of the park. Individual burns will typically take between one and three hours to complete depending upon multiple factors.

Residents living near the area of the burns will receive a flyer from the DNR with information about the process. They can prepare by closing windows in their home and bringing any laundry indoors. After the burns are complete, residents can expect to see black, burned areas of prairie, followed by the regrowth of stronger prairie plants with fewer invasive species. Residents may also notice a reduced number of pest organisms, such as ticks and the return of taller prairie grasses along with improved diversity of prairie species. Residents with questions related to the upcoming burns are asked to contact DNR Wildlife Biologist Marty Johnson at 262-884-2391.

Additional information from the DNR along with a map of the area is available as a PDF below.

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