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csceagle.com | The Eagle | April 7, 2022
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Prescribed burns planned for Dawes County u By Kamryn Kozisek Ag and Range Editor
Photo Courtsey USDA
A prescribed burn is carried out using a drip torch. Six prescribed burns are planned for Dawes County WMAs.
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission recently announced its plans for prescribed burns across the state in 2022, including six in Dawes County. Wildlife management areas (WMA) to be burned include Big Horn, Bordeaux Creek, Chet and Jane Fleisbach, Box Butte, Chadron Creek Ranch and Ponderosa. Prescribed burning, according to Game and Parks, can help to increase wildlife habitats and decrease invasive species like Kentucky bluegrass. “Prescribed fire was a very natural ecological process years ago before European settlement then we started putting the kibosh on putting out lightning strikes,” Rick Arnold, Game
and Parks biologist, stated during an episode of the Panhandle Afeild Podcast, hosted by Justin Hagg. “The Pine Ridge historically burned every 5-10 years with uncontrolled lighting strikes and various causes for fire. Native Americans set fire to the plains regularly to attract bison and that new fresh green growth. More or less we are just trying to put fire back in the landscape to restore that natural process that used to happen.” According to Nebraska Pheasants Forever, prescribed burns can help to control eastern red cedar encroachment on to Nebraska grasslands. Easter red cedar is encroaching on 38,000 acres a year. In order to carry out a prescribed burn, a burn list needs to be followed and carried out to help prevent fires from getting out of control. Weather is monitored including temperature, humidity and wind speed as well.
219 Main St. Chadron, NE 69337 (308) 432-6971 Photo by Kamryn Kozisek
A pair of mated Canada Geese nesting near Briggs Pond on the Harold and LaVerne Thompson Natural History Preserve, March 31.
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“Rangeland areas that have not had fire occurrence are often sites of problems involving invasive species,” Central Platte Resources District website states. “The invasive species, such as Eastern Red Cedar, can take away natural grassland acres that are necessary for grazing as well as for wildlife. Rangelands that are always grazed in the fall or winter with no spring treatment may also become areas dominated by native and non-native cool-season grasses and invasive weeds. These areas offer a reduced food value to livestock and are of reduced value to native wildlife.” Nebraska’s prescribed fire council will be hosting its third Great Plains Fire Council August 23-25 in North Platte in the Sandhills Convention Center. Online regestration can be filled out on https://www.eventbrite. com/e/great-plains-fire-summitpatch-burn-grazing-conference-registration-276850004817.
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