SMSU Planning Prescribed Burn in Wildlife Area
Published Wednesday, May 17, 2023
Southwest Minnesota State University is planning a prescribed burn in the Wildlife Area on the west side of campus in collaboration with Native Resource Preservation, LLC of Clarkfield. The burn is to reduce the amount of non-native and invasive species in the space. This will enhance the area for pollinators and wildlife and hopefully allow for more research opportunities for our students. The burn will happen between May 17th and mid-June, only if weather conditions allow. Please see the attached letter from the contractor that will be completing this project for more details.
April, 2023
Dear Resident:
This letter is to inform you we will complete a prescribed burn on Southwest Minnesota State University property near you in spring 2023. The burn will take place after May 17th but before mid-June. The burn will remove ground litter and unwanted plants, including some tree removal. Controlled burns prepare overgrown sites to be reseeded with native and beneficial plants.
Every effort will be made to keep smoke away from residential areas by limiting the burn to days with a specific wind direction. Smoke duration will be short on a burn of this size. The burn unit should be free of smoke and equipment within several hours. The daily burn window usually begins late morning to allow fuel curing and ends by early evening to allow smoke to lift. It is recommended you keep your windows closed on the day of the burn. If you have an air exchange unit, you should turn it off during the burn to limit smoke intake.
If you have any questions about using fire as a land management tool, please contact me by email (Josh.peterson@nrp.eco) or phone (320-428-2948).
Josh Peterson
Regional Director of Habitat Management/Burn Boss
Native Resource Preservation, LLC (NRP)
3026 440th St., Clarkfield, MN
Related Articles
