SUMNER, Iowa - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will be conducting prescribed burns this spring on wildlife management areas managed by the Iowa DNR’s Cedar-Wapsi Wildlife Unit in Floyd, Chickasaw, Butler, Bremer and Buchanan counties.
Areas scheduled for burns are Restoration Marsh in Floyd County; Sweet Marsh, Aldo Leopold, Heffernan and Walnut Bend in Bremer County; Upper Wapsi and Wapsi Flats in Chickasaw County; Big Marsh, West Fork Access, Lower West Fork and Blackmun Prairie in Butler County; and Cedar Rock and Troy Mills in Buchanan County.
Prescribed burns are used to improve wildlife habitat, control invasive plant species, restore and maintain native plant communities and reduce wildfire potential. Burns vary in size from two acres to 300 acres or more. Areas are typically burned every one to five years.
Ground nesting birds such as pheasants, mallards, bobolinks, dickscissels and others benefit from habitat improved with periodic prescribed fire. Prescribed burns typically begin mid to late morning and are completed by late afternoon or early evening between late March and early May. Burns will be conducted on a day that meets the objectives and weather conditions defined in the burn plan.
Contact DNR wildlife biologist Jason Auel, 319-213-2815 with any questions or concerns.