The Benefits of Fire: The Nature Conservancy to Begin Prescribed Burns in Central and W. Minnesota, Eastern North and South Dakota 4/6/2004
From: Ann Mulholland of The Nature Conservancy in Minnesota, 612-331-0759, or amulholland@tnc.org MINNEAPOLIS, April 6 -- The Nature Conservancy plans to work with partners to conduct prescribed burns on native prairie across Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota. In Minnesota, only about 150,000 acres (less than one percent) of the original native prairie remains. Fire is an essential force that has shaped ecosystems and life forms around the globe. But in many ecosystems today, the role of fire is severely out of balance, threatening to devastate both human and natural communities. In Minnesota, fire prevents brush and trees from overtaking the prairie, prevents build-up of dead vegetation that encourages weeds and retards new growth, and improves habitat for prairie birds, mammals and butterflies, many of them endangered. Many "exotic" grasses (introduced from Europe or Asia) such as Kentucky bluegrass and smooth brome, threaten to overwhelm the native prairie community. These cool-season grasses which grow quickly and flower in spring can be set back by burns in May, allowing the summer-flowering native prairie grasses to flourish. HOW ARE BURNS CONTROLLED? Burns will be undertaken only within "prescription" conditions -- weather that permits safe burning. Mowed fire breaks or burned strips (black lines) outline the prairie unit to be burned. Permits are obtained from local offices of the Department of Natural Resources. Local fire departments, county sheriff's offices and preserve neighbors are notified the day of the burn. SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH SHOWS IMPORTANCE OF FIRE TO PRAIRIE: Less than 200 years ago, one-third of Minnesota was covered by vast expanses of treeless plains. The prairie was a rich world of abundant grasses and flowers that teemed with wildlife, from huge herds of bison, elk and antelope to an immense number of waterfowl. Since 1840, more than 99 per cent of Minnesota's natural prairies have been built upon or plowed under. Scientists have been studying prairie since the 1930s. They have found that prairie grasses and flowers are well suited to fire-in fact, they thrive with it. These perennial plants grow back quickly from protected root systems which often extend 15 feet underground. Fires prevent brush and trees from invading the prairie; shade kills prairie plants. After a fire passes, the prairie grasses and other plants respond with a profusion of bloom. Fires also remove the build-up of dead vegetation, encourage new grass growth and control non-prairie plants like Kentucky bluegrass and smooth brome. Studies show that wild mammals and birds recognize fire and nearly all escape the flames. Small mammals go underground while larger ones move away temporarily or jump unharmed across the fire line. TENTATIVE LIST OF 2004 PRIORITY BURNS ON CONSERVANCY PRESERVES: Minnesota: Agassiz Dunes SNA, Polk County Pembina Trail SNA, Polk County Bluestem Prairie SNA, Clay County MacDougall, Morrison County Blazing Star Prairie SNA, Clay County Town Hall Prairie, Wilkin County Norway Dunes Preserve, Kittson County Twin Valley SNA, Norman County Wallace C. Dayton Conservation & Wildlife Area, Kittson County Helen Allison Savanna, Anoka County Heron Lake, Jackson County Ordway Prairie, Pope County Paul Bunyan Savanna, Cass County Regal Meadow, Kandiyohi County Schaefer Prairie, McLeod County Weaver Dunes, Wabasha County Red Rock Prairie, Cottonwood County Plover Prairie, Lac Qui Parle County Chippewa Prairie, Swift County Hole-in-the Mountain Prairie, Lincoln County Wahpeton Prairie, Redwood County -- North Dakota: Cross Ranch Preserve Brown Ranch Preserve, Ransom County, N.D. Davis Ranch John E. Williams Preserve, McLean County, N.D. -- South Dakota: Ordway Prairie, McPherson County, S.D. Aurora Prairie, Brookings County, S.D. Sioux Prairie, Moody County, S.D. Crystal Springs Prairie Preserve, Deuel County, S.D. Makoce Washte Prairie, Minnehaha County, S.D. Vermillion Prairie, Clay County, S.D. Wilson Savanna, Lincoln County, S.D. Power Plant, Grant County, S.D. ----- EDITORS NOTE: B-Roll and photos available upon request ------ The Nature Conservancy is a leading international, nonprofit organization that preserves plants, animals and natural communities representing the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 100 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit its Web site at: http://www.nature.org. |