Control Burn at Wilderness Park Set For Tuesday Afternoon

LINCOLN–(KFOR Sept. 19)–Lincoln Parks and Recreation staff members will be doing a controlled burn Tuesday afternoon from 1pm to 4pm in Wilderness Park, north of Saltillo Road.

In a news release to KFOR News, Parks and Rec officials say the yellow and red trails between the bridge at trail marker 74 and the Saltillo Road parking lot at trail marker 75 will be closed until noon Wednesday, September 20.

“Controlled burns are an effective and important tool to manage large areas of land that are host to native plants and grasses. The process helps control invasive species like cedar trees in prairies before they can cause overcrowding and competition with desired vegetation, lowers the risk of wildfires by managing the space and volume of tinder, and improves habitat for wildlife and plant diversity, therefore creating a more ecologically resilient community,” said Aaron Druery, Greenways District Supervisor for Lincoln Parks and Recreation.

In the meantime, parks crew members will monitor air quality and weather reports when performing the burn to make sure things are safe.