Controlled Burn

@ the Library

P R A I R I E M A N A G E M E N T

Urban Prairie

Native prairies, especially tall grass

prairies, benefit greatly from being

burned periodically. Fire removes old

dead plants (thatch), recycles nutrients

and curbs invasion by woody plants.

Now, in the 21st century, fire is seen as

a vital tool in the management of

remnant prairies. Prescribed burning is

more widely accepted and even

welcomed, even in urban areas, as

more people come to understand the

important role fire plays in the prairie

ecosystem.

As management of our traditional

prairie, we are planning our once in five

year controlled burn. This is part of the

natural cycle to revitalize/renew our

prairie landscape. Join us for an

information night and hear from the

experts to find out more about this

exciting process.

Thursday, April 11th

, 2019 at 7:00pm

Gaynor Family Regional Library

History

Prior to European settlement of the North

American Great Plains the combination of

fire, drought and grazing kept the

grasslands as grasslands. The tall grass

prairies in particular would have been

largely swallowed up by woody

vegetation (forests) if fire and grazing by

bison and other large herbivores had not

been in effect.

Aboriginal peoples knew the benefits of

fire and regularly set the prairies ablaze

to improve grazing and attract bison to

specific areas for better hunting.

With the loss of natural grazers and fire

suppression by humans, remaining

patches of native prairie grew decadent

and many were lost to the advances of

woody vegetation, most notably Trem-

bling Aspen (Populus tremuloides).

As the movement to preserve and

manage remaining native prairies

developed in the latter part of the 20th

century, the role of fire in keeping prairies

healthy began to be recognized.

Collicutt, Doug. (2018, Summer Issue). Burn Prairie Burn! Videos of prescribed burning for prairie

management. Retrieved from http://www.naturenorth.com/summer/Burn/Prairie_Burn.html

Phone: 204-482-3522 Fax: 204-482-6166

E-mail: library@gfrl.org website: www.gfrl.org

806 Manitoba Avenue Selkirk MB R1A 2H4

Our Mission

The Gaynor Family Regional Library is

dedicated to providing public access to

the resources required to facilitate

lifelong learning in our communities.

Public library services will be provided

in an environment that encourages and

supports all members of the public to

develop their full potential.

The Library is administered by a

volunteer Library Board of citizens

appointed by the City of Selkirk, the

R.M. of St. Andrews, the R.M. of St.

Clements and the Village of Dunnottar.

Funding is provided by municipal

contributions from the City of Selkirk,

the R.M. of St. Andrews, the R.M. of St.

Clements, the Village of Dunnottar and

the Province of Manitoba.

Thanks to the strong municipal support,

membership is free to residents of:

the City of Selkirk, the RM of St. Andrews the RM of St. Clements and the Village of Dunnottar

Controlled Prairie Burn at the Library

Definitions

Prescribed burn

A planned burning of a grassland

site or section thereof as part of a

prescribed habitat management plan.

Fire break

A physical barrier of some sort to the

advancement of a fire. This may be a

region of no fuel (tilled earth), one

with little fuel remaining (mown close

to the ground), wetted or foamed

fuel, or an already burned site.

Back burn

A fire moving into the wind, usually

used to create fire breaks prior to

starting a head fire, but sometimes

used to burn entire sites slowly.

Head fire

A fire moving with the wind, usually

moving rapidly and generating

intense flames.

Spring burn

Most prescribed burning is carried

out in spring, often before any new

growth occurs, allowing for earlier

warming of the ground through

increased insolation.

Weather and Timing

The controlled burn at the Gaynor Family Regional Library will be

conducted in the spring of 2019 between early April and mid-June.

Neighbouring properties will be give 24 hour notice when weather

conditions are favourable and the following criteria is meet:

Wind to be from NNE through N through NNW from 5 to 25

kmph to ensure safety & control

To be conducted when weather conditions promote maximum

upward smoke dispersal

Humidity from 35 to 60%

Temperatures from +5 to 22C

To be conducted between 11:00 and 19:00 hrs

Burn to be conducted as a back burn into the wind from SSW

through S through SSE to maintain maximum safety & control at

tall times

Ability to put out fire quickly should conditions change or safety

issues arise

Fire and all hotspots to be completely eliminated before depart-

ing site

At least one unburned control area to be established to protect

species sensitive to burns & provide a benchmark for compari-

son with burned areas later on in the season

CONTROLLED

BURN AREA