Forest preserve district plans upcoming prescribed burns

When is fire a good thing? When it's a carefully controlled, prescribed burn in your local Kane County forest preserves!

Each spring and fall, the Forest Preserve District conducts prescribed burns across prairies, woodlands and wetlands in an effort to improve or maintain the ecological health of a site. These carefully controlled burns release nutrients from burned plant materials, encourage seed growth, and open the woodland floor to sunlight so native wildflowers and plants can flourish. Prescribed burns also reduce the abundance of non-native brush such as buckthorn.

Grassland/wetland sites targeted for this burn season include portions of the following (in order of priority):

• Pingree Grove Forest Preserve in Pingree Grove;

• Braeburn Marsh Forest Preserve in Batavia;

• Dick Young Forest Preserve in Batavia;

• Fox River Forested Fen Forest Preserve in Elgin;

• Burlington Prairie Forest Preserve in Burlington;

• LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve in St. Charles;

• Hoscheit Woods Forest Preserve in St. Charles;

• Raymond Street Forest Preserve in Elgin;

• Mill Creek Forest Preserve in Batavia;

• Burnidge Forest Preserve in Elgin;

• Lone Grove Forest Preserve in Kaneville;

• Big Rock Forest Preserve in Big Rock;

• Great Western Trail - Route 64 in St. Charles;

• Almon Underwood Prairie Forest Preserve in Kaneville;

• Freeman Kame-Meagher Forest Preserve in Gilberts;

• Bliss Woods Forest Preserve in Sugar Grove;

• Tekakwitha Woods Forest Preserve in St. Charles;

• Aurora West Forest Preserve in Aurora;

• Hannaford Woods Forest Preserve in Sugar Grove;

• Culver Forest Preserve in Sugar Grove;

• Hampshire Forest Preserve in Hampshire.

Woodland sites targeted for this burn season include portions of the following (in order of priority):

• Pingree Grove Forest Preserve in Pingree Grove;

• Lone Grove Forest Preserve in Kaneville;

• Blackberry Maples Forest Preserve in Elburn;

• Tomo Chi-Chi Knolls in Gilberts;

• Freeman Kame-Meagher Forest Preserve in Gilberts;

• Fabyan Forest Preserve in Geneva;

• Burnidge Forest Preserve in Elgin;

• Bliss Woods Forest Preserve in Sugar Grove;

• Hannaford Woods Forest Preserve in Sugar Grove;

• Tyler Creek Forest Preserve in Elgin.

Before a controlled burn, trained staff survey the preserve and create a detailed plan of action. They then carefully monitor the weather and wait until conditions are right, to minimize the chance of smoke blowing toward homes and roads.

Staff also notify residents via mail, so that those with health concerns can avoid the smoke. Information is also posted at www.kaneforest.com and on social media at www.facebook.com/forestpreserve/ or twitter.com/ForestPreserve.

For information on prescribed burns, contact the Forest Preserve District of Kane County at (630) 232-5980.