CHICAGO PARK DISTRICT CONDUCTS SPRING PRESCRIBED BURNS
Release Date: 04/04/08
In an effort to restore and enhance nature areas, the Chicago Park District is conducting prescribed burns for the spring season. The Park District uses prescribed burn management to help maintain nature’s delicate balance and keep Chicago’s nature areas healthy and beautiful.
“Use of prescribed fire is an essential part of managing and attaining healthy ecosystems in this region. Nature areas benefit the people and the wildlife of Chicago by contributing to clean water and air, soil conservation and biodiversity conservation while also providing numerous opportunities for education and recreation,” said Zhanna Yermakov, the natural areas manager for the Chicago Park District.
Prescribed burns are conducted in late fall and early spring, when plants are dormant and dry enough to carry a fire. Prescribed burns will be conducted through April 30, with the exact dates dependent on the weather, at the following Chicago Park District nature areas:
Lakefront Region
•Burnham Nature Sanctuary, 47th Street and Lake Shore Drive – prairie
•Burnham Park McCormick Bird Sanctuary, located along the lakefront just south of McCormick Place – prairie
•Jackson Park, 6401 S. Stony Island Ave. – Bobolink Meadow and Wooded Island (prairie in rose garden and woodland on south end)
•Lincoln Park, Bill Jarvis Migratory Bird Sanctuary, Addison Street and Lake Shore Drive – woodland/savanna
•Lincoln Park, North Pond Nature Sanctuary and Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, north of Fullerton Ave. between Cannon Drive and Stockton Drive –prairies
•South Shore Nature Sanctuary, 7059 S. South Shore Drive – prairie
Central Region
•Columbus Park, 500 S. Central Ave. – lagoon edge prairie, woodland, and golf prairies
•Humboldt Park Prairie River and Wetlands
North Region•Gompers Park, 4222 W. Foster Ave. – wetland edge/prairie•Indian Boundary lagoon, 2500 W. Lunt Ave•Kiwanis Park, 3315 W. Carmen Ave. – river edge•Ronan Park, 2900 W. Lawrence Ave. – west river edge/woodland•Winnemac Park, 5100 N. Leavitt St. – prairies
South Region
•Marquette Park, 6734 S. Kedzie Ave. – golf prairies
•Nichols Park, 1355 E. 53rd St. – prairie garden
•Ridge Park Wetland, 9516 S. Wood St. – wetland
•Washington Park, 5531 S. Martin Luther King Drive – lagoon edge and Prairie River•Sherman Lagoon, 1301 W. 52nd St.
“The Chicago Park District has been safely conducting prescribed burns for more than a decade,” said Timothy J. Mitchell, the general superintendent of the Chicago Park District. “Prescribed burns help our parks flourish, creating beautiful, healthy nature areas for all of Chicago to enjoy for years to come.” The Chicago Park District posted notifications and is working closely with the Chicago Fire Department. Professional, well-equipped and fully trained prescribed burn specialists from V3 Consultants have been hired to conduct the burns. V3 Consultants is a consulting engineering, environmental science and surveying firm with offices in Illinois, Colorado and Arizona.
Burn specialists from V3 prepare prescription burn plans including maps of the area to be burned, ideal weather conditions, staff duties, equipment and the location of the firebreaks, which are areas where the fire will be stopped and contained such as a road or mowed path. Ample portable water tanks and trucks are present the day of the burn.
The use of fire is an effective, safe, economical, natural and efficient management tool especially when compared to other tools such as chemicals, mechanical removal or mowing. Prairie plantings and other natural areas benefit from controlled burns in a number of ways including control of invasive weed species, increase in flower and seed production, removal of thatch and other organic build-up, nutrient recycling, and increased soil temperature in early spring that enhances germination and extends the growing season.
- Contact Phone: 312 742 7529