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Parks and Recreation staff explain use of prescribed burns to restore prairies and oak savannahs
Summary
Parks and Recreation natural resources staff described prescribed burns as a tool to manage more than 200 acres of city natural areas, protect biodiversity and mimic historical fire regimes.
Parks and Recreation natural resources staff explained that the department uses prescribed burns to manage more than 200 acres of natural areas. Staff described prescribed burns as controlled fires that replicate historic wildfires to clear unwanted vegetation, protect biodiversity and maintain fire-dependent ecosystems such as prairies and oak savannahs.
The presentation said that before European colonization, Minnesota's prairies spanned roughly 18,000,000 acres and that today only about 1 percent of that original prairie remains. Staff said fire helps clear encroaching trees and shrubs, recycles nutrients, and encourages new growth that benefits herbivores and pollinators. The presentation framed prescribed burning as a safe, efficient, and cost-effective practice for restoring and maintaining historic landscapes in the city.
Staff noted that prescribed burns are planned and conducted by trained natural-resources personnel; no policy or regulatory changes were proposed during the meeting.
