Spring Prescribed Burns Begin in May
Posted on 2 May, 2018The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) wants to alert park and trail users that contractors hired by the MPRB, Friends of the Mississippi River and Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD) will be conducting prescribed burns at various Minneapolis park locations.
- Applied Ecological Services, a contractor for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, will be doing prescribed burns of prairie areas at West River Parkway and 36th Street, Cedar Lake Regional Bike Trail, and North Mississippi Regional Park this spring.
- A contractor hired by Friends of the Mississippi River will be conducting a prescribed burn for the prairie planted at Ole Olson park.
- A contractor hired by Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD) will be conducting prescribed burns for the stormwater wetland ponds at Bde Maka Ska, Lake Nokomis and Cedar Lake.
All prescribed burns will take place during May 2018. Specific weather and environmental conditions must be met to implement a prescribed burn including: the optimal prevailing wind direction, humidity levels, and cloud cover conditions. If Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (Mn PCA) issue air quality alerts or Minnesota DNR (Mn DNR) places burning restrictions for the metro area, this will limit our ability to conduct a prescribed burn.
During a prescribed burn, park users may see smoke and flames. The contractor will have MN DNR trained staff on site along with the necessary fire control equipment. The contractor has obtained all necessary permits required for a prescribed burn. City of Minneapolis 911, as well as MPRB police and customer service are notified prior to and upon completion of the burn.
About Prescribed Burns
Prescribed burns are one of the management tools used to maintain native plantings. When fire is suppressed, invasive shrubs and trees can invade these natural areas, outcompeting desirable native wildflowers and grasses.
More Information
Information on the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s natural areas and their management can be found on the web at www.minneapolisparks.org.
If you have questions regarding the MCWD prescribed burns of the MPRB stormwater wetland ponds, please call MCWD at (952) 641-4582.
If you have questions regarding the prescribed burn of the Ole Olson Park prairie please contact Alex Roth, Friends of the Mississippi River at 651-222-2193 x33.
Media Contact
Robin Smothers
Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board
Phone: 612-230-6410
Email: rsmothers@minneapolisparks.org