The prescribed burn season is underway at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, and The Nature Conservancy is among the groups helping to organize the controlled burn process again this year.
On KVOE’s Morning Show on Friday, Nature Conservancy Flint Hills Initiative Manager Tony Capizzo said about half the preserve has burns in any given year — and a lot goes into the annual burn plan.
Fire crews can range from 8-16 in number, depending on the size of the burn. Staffers try to give as much advance notice as possible ahead of burns, but due to weather conditions — wind speed, wind direction and relative humidity — certain areas of the preserve may close on short notice. Patrons are encourged to follow the Tallgrass Preserve and Nature Conservancy social media channels or go to nps.gov/tapr and click on the “Alerts” tab near the top of the website for updates. When burns are underway, visitors are asked to not cross any fire lines or go past barricades or signs.
The Nature Conservancy is the primary landowner for the nearly 11,000-acre preserve northeast of Strong City. Besides the preserve, it works with Chase County firefighters, the US National Park Service and US Fish and Wildlife Service on planning the burns.
