The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Litchfield Wetland Management District will soon begin its annual spring prescribed burn program on waterfowl production areas in the Litchfield area. The prescribed burns will be conducted from late March through early June and are carefully planned and controlled to ensure there is no damage to adjacent property.

The Litchfield Wetland Management District manages approximately 45,000 acres and annually conducts prescribed burns on approximately 2,000 to 4,000 acres of planted grass, remnant native prairies and woodlands within Kandiyohi, Meeker, McLeod, Wright, Renville, Stearns and Todd counties.

Prescribed burning is an essential management activity designed to replicate natural processes and maintain and enhance the vitality and biodiversity of Minnesota’s tallgrass prairie ecosystems. In addition, these burns can provide a margin of safety to firefighters and property owners by reducing the natural fuel in an area in case a wildfire should occur.

If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Litchfield Wetland Management Office at (320) 693-2849.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 96-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.

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