Nebraskaland Magazine
LINCOLN, Neb. – Prescribed burns are planned this spring on many Nebraska Game and Parks Commission wildlife management areas, state parks and state recreation areas where weather allows.
Historically, wildlife habitats were shaped by wildfires that occurred throughout the year. Burns can help set back undesirable plants that invade native woodlands and prairies, as well as other grass and wooded areas.
Prescribed burning, if used with grazing, can set back smooth brome and Kentucky bluegrass, increase diversity in grasslands and improve habitat for wildlife. Burned acres often become more attractive to wildlife. Acres managed by prescribed burning has better long-term effects on wildlife habitat compared to acres not burned.
Burns will take place spring through fall at the following areas:
Southeast District: Butler County – Redtail WMA; Cass County – Eugene T. Mahoney SP, Louisville WMA/SRA, Platte River SP, Rakes Creek WMA, Randall W. Schilling WMA; Douglas County – Two Rivers WMA; Fillmore County – Green Wing WMA, Redhead WMA; Gage County – Arrowhead WMA; Jefferson County – Alexandria WMA, Alexandria SW WMA, Flathead WMA, Rose Creek WMA; Johnson County – Hickory Ridge WMA, Osage WMA, Twin Oaks WMA;
Lancaster County – Bluestem WMA/SRA, Branched Oak WMA/SRA, Conestoga WMA/SRA, Hedgefield WMA, Olive Creek WMA, Pawnee SRA/WMA, Wagon Train SRA/WMA, Yankee Hill WMA; Nemaha County – Aspinwall Bend WMA, Langdon Bend WMA, Aspinwall Bend WMA; Otoe County – Triple Creek WMA; Pawnee County – Burchard WMA, Lores Branch WMA, Table Rock WMA, Taylor’s Branch WMA;
Richardson County – Kinter’s Ford WMA, South Fork WMA Thomas Matter WMA, Verdon SRA; Saline County – Divoky WMA; Saline County – Swan Creek WMA; Sarpy County – Schramm Park SRA; Saunders County – Bramble WMA; Seward County – Oak Glen WMA, Straight Water WMA; Thayer County – Little Blue WMA, Little Blue East WMA, Meridian WMA; York County – Marsh Duck WMA.
Southwest District: Buffalo County – Bassway Strip WMA; Chase County – Enders Reservoir WMA/SRA, Wanamaker WMA; Clay County – Bulrush WMA, Kissinger Basin WMA, Whitefront WMA; Custer County – Arcadia Diversion WMA, Berggren-Young WMA, Pressey WMA; Dawson County – Bittern’s Call WMA, Dogwood WMA; Dundy County – Rock Creek SRA; Frontier and Red Willow counties – Medicine Creek Reservoir WMA/SRA, Red Willow Reservoir WMA/SRA; Furnas County – Cambridge Diversion Dam WMA;
Hall County – Cornhusker WMA; Hamilton County – Deep Well WMA, Pintail WMA; Hayes County – Hayes Center WMA; Hitchcock County – Swanson Reservoir WMA/SRA; Howard County – Harold Anderson WMA, Leonard Koziol; Keith County – Clear Creek WMA; Lincoln County – Platte WMA; Nuckolls County – Smartweed Marsh WMA, Wapiti WMA; Phelps County – Sacramento-Wilcox WMA; Sherman County – Sherman Reservoir WMA/SRA; Webster County – Indian Creek WMA, Narrows WMA.
Northeast District: Antelope County – Grove Lake WMA, Hackberry Creek WMA, Red Wing WMA; Brown County – Keller Park WMA; Cedar County – Wiseman WMA; Dakota County – Danish Alps SRA; Dawson County – Plum Creek WMA; Dixon County – Elk Point Bend WMA, Powder Creek WMA; Garfield and Loup counties – Calamus Reservoir SRA; Greeley and Valley counties – Davis Creek WMA;
Knox County – Bazile Creek WMA, Lewis and Clark SRA, Niobrara SP; Madison County – Oak Valley WMA, Yellowbanks WMA; Nance County – Council Creek WMA, Don Dworak WMA; Platte County – George D. Syas WMA, Wilkinson WMA; Rock County – Fred Thomas WMA; Stanton County – Red Fox WMA, Wood Duck WMA; Wayne County – Thompson-Barnes WMA.
Northwest District: Dawes County – Bordeaux Creek WMA, Chadron Creek Ranch WMA, Ponderosa WMA; Morrill County – Arnold Trupp WMA; Scotts Bluff County – Kiowa WMA, Nine Mile Creek WMA; Sioux County – Gilbert-Baker WMA, Peterson WMA.
