8.0 PRSR 03-09-2017 - Laserfiche WebLink

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• reasons. It is important to leave some areas unburned (refugia) to allow insect and animal populations to recover and repopulate burned areas.To do this, it is recommended to rotate the burn units from year to year,and try not to burn adjacent units in consecutive years. Prior to a prescribed burn,a burn plan must be devised.The burn contractor can help with the burn plan. Permits must be obtained from the DNR and local fire officials. Initially,burning would be rotated every one or two years, so that each year a different burn unit would be burned. Long-term, burns can occur every 3-5 years in prairies and savannas,though longer intervals could allow for the establishment of more woody shrubs if desired. Prior to burning,burn breaks must be created to contain the fire. Burn breaks consist of a mowed swath in grassland areas,typically at least 8 feet wide.There should be burn breaks between restoration units and within the large prairie/savanna restoration (Burn Units 1-4, Figure 13). In woodland areas,the break line is created by clearing the leaf litter and any other debris down to the mineral soil.At Bailey Point,utilizing the mowed paths and edges of forests will be useful and easier than making breaks from scratch.The burn contractor can also help with the placement and installation of burn breaks.Allowing fire to run into adjacent land covers is another good practice. For example,breaklines in a prairie unit that is adjacent to woodland should be placed a short distance into the woodland,where feasible.This makes for a more natural looking and functioning landscape and helps to prevent the woodland from encroaching into the prairie. Smoke management is a concern for burning on this property,since there are nearby residences,buildings,and roads. Care must be taken to select a burn date where smoke will not reduce visibility on Main Street or become a nuisance for the neighbors to the north. Long-Term Monitoring and Maintenance Monitoring is very important to restoration success. Monitoring,evaluation and assessment should be done at least annually by an ecologist or a restoration professional. More frequent monitoring will be needed in the initial phases of restoration to evaluate the success of the methodologies and to inform future strategies.Adapting to issues or factors observed during monitoring and assessment is vital to the restoration process. Once the primary restoration tasks are completed,the restoration process will convert to a monitoring and adaptive management phase. Long-term maintenance for the forest areas will consist managing for invasive species,and monitoring every year for potential new issues. For the prairie and savanna,burning should occur every 3 to 5 (or more) years to prevent woody encroachment and maintain the health of the units. Restored areas must be regularly monitored to identify ecological issues such as erosion and sedimentation,invasive species,and disease. Monitoring is also Friends of the Mississippi River Bailey Point Nature Preserve NRMP 59