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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 of Kane County 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.

The first prescibed burn of the season was completed Oct. 31 at Jon J. Duerr Forest Preserve in South Elgin..

Grassland/wetland sites targeted for this burn season include portions of the following, in order of priority: Burlington Prairie in Burlington; Freeman Kame Forest Preserve in Gilberts; Dick Young Forest Preserve in Batavia; Meissner-Corron Forest Preserve in St. Charles; Burnidge Forest Preserve in Elgin; Fox River Shores in Carpentersville; Fitchie Creek Forest Preserve in Elgin; Aurora West Forest Preserve in Aurora; Muirhead Springs Forest Preserve in Hampshire; Prairie Kame Forest Preserve in Sugar Grove; Campton Forest Preserve in St. Charles; LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve in St. Charles; Pingree Grove Forest Preserve in Pingree Grove; Big Rock Forest Preserve in Big Rock; Hannaford Woods Forest Preserve in Sugar Grove; Johnson's Mound Forest Preserve in Elburn; Schweitzer Woods Forest Preserve in West Dundee; Culver Forest Preserve in Sugar Grove; Otter Creek Forest Preserve in Elgin; Grunwald Farms Forest Preserve in Elburn; Hampshire Forest Preserve in Hampshire; Mill Creek Forest Preserve in Batavia; Lake Run Forest Preserve in Aurora; Binnie Woods Forest Preserve in West Dundee; Great Western Trail -Brown Road in St. Charles; Barnes Forest Preserve in Aurora; Bolcum Forest Preserve in St. Charles; and Braeburn Marsh Forest Preserve in Batavia.

Woodland sites targeted for this burn season include portions of the following, in order of priority: Bliss Woods Forest Preserve in Sugar Grove; Brunner Forest Preserve in Dundee; Freeman Kame Forest Preserve in Gilberts; Johnson's Mound Forest Preserve in Elburn; Fox River Shores in Carpentersville; Helm Woods Forest Preserve in Barrington Hills; Fabyan Forest Preserve in Geneva; LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve in St. Charles; Big Rock Forest Preserve in Big Rock; Pingree Grove Forest Preserve in Pingree Grove; Kenyon Farm Forest Preserve in South Elgin; Lone Grove Forest Preserve in Kaneville; Tekakwitha Woods Forest Preserve in St. Charles; Glenwood Park Forest Preserve in Batavia; Campton Forest Preserve in St. Charles; Elburn Forest Preserve in Elburn; Arlene Shoemaker Forest Preserve in Aurora; and Andersen Woods Forest Preserve in St. Charles

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 on the district web site at www.kaneforest.com and on social media.

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

To view the full roster of forest preserve district nature programs, visit www.kaneforest.com. Follow them on Facebook or Twitter.

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