Returning birds and melting snow are sure signs of spring in the Midwest. Natural resources professionals are also preparing for another spring ritual, the start of the prescribed fire season. From April 1 to mid June, staff at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Leopold Wetland Management District (WMD) in Portage, Wis., will be mobilizing crews of firefighters and equipment for scheduled burns at 30 Waterfowl Production Areas (WPA) in 15 counties across south-central Wisconsin.
Safely managed fires are a common sight each spring at Service-managed national wildlife refuges and wetland management districts. Guided by the most current science, Service fire staff expertly employ fire to restore, enhance, and protect ecosystem health according to Steve Lenz, district manager at Leopold WMD. “Prescribed fire is an essential and cost-effective tool for managing wildlife habitat,” Lenz said. “Each burn is carefully planned and professionally executed.”
Large areas of smoke across south central Wisconsin will signal the beginning of fire season. Residents should remember the role that fire plays in Wisconsin: removing accumulated flammable materials, providing habitat for wildlife and plants, and maintaining beautiful meadow views. Simulating historic, naturally occurring wildfires produces great benefits to native plants and animals. Burning the previous years plant matter returns nutrients to the soil, encouraging healthier and more productive plant growth. Fire top-kills woody plants such as willow and oak, causing them to sprout from the base. The resulting shoots provide tender, nutritious browse for animals like white-tailed deer. Fruit-bearing plants (like blueberry) are stressed by fire, signaling them to flower and fruit. Prescribed fire also reduces the hazards of wildfires.
Last year, the Leopold office staff successfully conducted burns on 15 of its WPA in seven Wisconsin counties for a total of 1,142 acres. “Those burns reduced the build-up of flammable invasive vegetation while improving habitat and reducing the chances of an uncontrolled wildland fire on those lands,” said Lenz.
This year, prescribed fires are planned for the following counties during suitable weather: Adams, Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Jefferson, Marquette, Oconto, Ozaukee, Rock, Shawano, Sheboygan, Waukesha, Waushara and Winnebago. The Waterfowl Production Areas scheduled to be burned are open to public recreation, however, public use will be restricted during firing operations.
For additional information on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Leopold Wetland Management District, please call 608-742-7100, or write W10040 Cascade Mountain Road, Portage, WI, 53901.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 63 Fish and Wildlife Management offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
