PARK FALLS, WI (WSAU-WXPR) – Every spring the Chequamegon Nicolet National Forest only has a small window of opportunity to do controlled burns.
Prescribed burns can help maintain healthy forests by minimizing the spread of insects, reduce extreme wildfire risk, and improve wildlife habitat.
The National Forest is hoping to burn more than 43-hundred acres this spring.
500 of those are in the Riley Lake Wildlife Management Area in Price County.
Ken Pemble is a wildlife biologist with the Chequamegon Nicolet National Forest: “We try to have slow, high heat and high intensity fire take out the woody vegetations. So we’ll cook the cambiums of the target species and we’ll get a really good response. The top hills will go off. Everything that’s been on the ground will be consumed and we’ll actually get a response from a lot of wildflowers, forbes, and blueberries.”
Pemble says Riley Lake is a popular place for blueberry picking.
It’s also home to sharp-tailed grouse. The controlled burn helps improve habitat for the species.
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