6.2 at 1 Camp Cozy Park_NRMP_2023

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65 Friends of the Mississippi River Camp Cozy Park NRMP refugia for each other. The prairies should not be burned in the same year, and each prairie should not be burned in its entirety. The internal trails of Unit 1 provide suitable firebreaks that can be made more robust with mowing just prior to a burn and thoroughly wetting the break itself. Unit 2, however, lacks internal trails. Burning in this prairie would require creating a temporary or permanent north-south fire break of at least 8 feet in width and burning the eastern half of the prairie first. To avoid stimulating growth of aspen and sumac, the northern two-thirds of the north prairie should be burned in the fall. Early fall burning will also suppress the cool season grasses (smooth brome and Kentucky bluegrass) that are present under the sumac and cedars. Allowing fire to run into adjacent different vegetation types can soften the boundaries between habitat and benefit the vegetation outside of the intended burn unit. For example, the new firebreak in Unit 2 South Prairie should be routed to run a short distance into the nearby oak forest, where feasible. This makes for a more natural-looking and functioning landscape and helps to prevent the forest from encroaching into the prairie. Smoke management is somewhat of a concern for burning at Camp Cozy with US Highway 10 just to the south of the site across the river and the risk of reduced visibility from smoke on the road. Burn prescriptions should specify a west or southwest wind that will move smoke to undeveloped areas along the river where it will not affect roadways or be a nuisance for neighbors. In addition to smoke as a visibility concern, the density of poison ivy in Unit 1 will require extreme care during management, and especially during prescribed burning. An option would be to ignite flanking fire on the north and south edges of the unit, having the two ignition lines meet on the west edge of the unit, and allowing the head fire to burn through the poison ivy on the east side of the unit where burn personnel can be positioned behind the running fire and smoke is pushed to the east. If fire cannot be ignited in a pattern that allows the burn crew to stay out of smoke from burning poison ivy, the area should not be burned. With disturbance from both woody removal and fire, weedy species that favor disturbance may briefly increase in abundance. To prevent their spread, occasional, judicious spot herbicide application is also recommended. Known weedy species are primarily limited to cool season grasses, and to prevent off-target damage, a grass-selective herbicide, such as sethoxydim, may be used.