–The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will be conducting prescribed burns across the area over the next several weeks, and that includes a handful of sites in Kossuth County. Rob Patterson serves as the Wildlife Biologist for the DNR’s Prairie Lakes Wildlife Unit, which includes Kossuth, Palo Alto, Emmet, Humboldt and Clay counties. He tells KLGA News they conduct these prescribed burns on a regular basis to help preserve these natural grasslands.
Patterson says maintaining the state’s natural grasslands assists with more than just the state’s wildlife.
The mild winter has helped perpetuate the dry conditions across the state, and Patterson says that will make them more cautious when conducting the prescribed burns.
The prescribed burns typically begin mid-to-late morning and are completed by late afternoon or early evening, beginning mid-March through mid-May.
In Kossuth County, prescribed burns will take place at Goose Lake, Burt Lake, Seneca and Iowa Lake Marsh. In Palo Alto County, prescribed burns are scheduled for Blue Wings Marsh, Dewey’s Pasture, West Fork Wildlife Area and Fallows Marsh, while burns are also scheduled at 7 locations across Emmet County. If you have questions about the burn areas, you can contact DNR Wildlife Biologist Rob Patterson by calling 712-330-2563.
