DIAMOND, Mo. — George Washington Carver National Monument is planning a prescribed burn March 10th -14th, weather permitting.
Approximately 100 acres will be burned at the park, conducted under the guidance of National Park Service fire personnel. The objective of the controlled burn is to reduce wildfire risk and enhance the tallgrass prairie through the reduction of fuel loads and woody species. Most of the park will remain open to visitors during the burn, although temporary closure of the Carver Trail will be necessary to ensure visitor safety. The burn is expected to last one day.
Tallgrass prairie once covered more than 140 million acres of the United States. Nearly all of it is gone, plowed under for agriculture. Prairies respond to their environment, which includes soil type, water availability, and natural processes such as grazing and fire. Most ecologists agree that for the last 5,000 years, prairie vegetation would have mostly disappeared if it had not been for the burning of theses grasslands. With prescribed fire, these fragile ecosystems will be preserved for generations to come. Areas of restored tallgrass prairie can be found at George Washington Carver National Monument.
