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Franklin trails panel pauses prescribed burns at Negri Napot; sets March–April mowing window
Summary
After repeated failed prescribed burns and complaints about grassland conditions, the Trails Advisory Committee agreed not to request a burn at Negri Napot this year and instead asked DPW to mow in a March–April window (with an October mowing), pending coordination with Open Space and DPW.
The Franklin Township Trails Advisory Committee decided June 10 to suspend requests for prescribed burns at Negri Napot for the coming year and to direct the township’s Department of Public Works to mow the preserve within a March–April window, with one scheduled mowing in October.
Committee members described recent visitor complaints about grassland maintenance following National Trails Day and explained a recurring operational problem: the New Jersey Fire Safety Service, which runs the volunteer prescribed‑burn program, has scheduled burns at Negri but not executed them because of staffing. When burns do not occur, staff said, the property remains unmowed into the bird‑nesting season, constraining later maintenance.
Staff reviewed the grasslands management plan and explained the trade‑off: the prescribed‑burn process typically requires no mowing immediately beforehand, and conservation advisors had recommended avoiding mowing while nesting birds are present. That created a calendar conflict when the Fire Safety Service failed to visit the site in time.
To reduce uncertainty and address public complaints about overgrown stands, the committee agreed to stop applying for prescribed burns at Negri for now, limit burn requests to other sites (John Clyde was cited as successful this year), and ask DPW to commit to mowing sometime in March–April (suggested windows included April 1–15 or a broader March–April span). Members also asked staff to present the approach to the Open Space Advisory Committee and to coordinate with DPW on a firm schedule and workload expectations.
The committee emphasized this is an operational adjustment for the coming year, not a final policy change. Members said they will reassess the approach after implementation and continue to weigh ecological tradeoffs—burns can open seed beds and reduce some pests, while mowing can reduce fuel and respond to visitor concerns about access and sightlines.
