National Park Service To Conduct Pile Burning, Winter 2023

ST. CROIX FALLS, WI -- The St. Croix National Scenic Riverway plans to burn numerous brush piles in the Riverway corridor from January 26 – March 31 depending on weather conditions. The National Park Service (NPS) is conducting these burns to improve prairie, savanna, and forest habitat along the St. Croix and Namekagon rivers.

The areas where piles are to be burned are:

• Arcola; located in Washington County, four miles north of Stillwater, Minnesota. The site has approximately 10 piles and is being restored to prairie and oak savanna.
• Bursch Restoration Site; located in St. Croix County, four miles southwest of Somerset, Wisconsin. The site has 12 piles and is being restored from a pine plantation to mixed hardwood forest.
• Fairy Falls; located in Washington County, one and one-half miles north of Stillwater, Minnesota. This site has approximately 20 piles and it is being restored to mixed hardwood forest.
• Osceola Glade; located in Polk County, two miles west of Dresser, Wisconsin. This site has approximately 25 piles. The area is being restored to oak savanna, mixed hardwood, and prairie habitat.
• Peaslee Island; located in Polk County, 3 miles south of St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin. This site has approximately 10 piles. The area is being restored to oak savanna.

The NPS has developed detailed plans for pile burning and the fires are carried out by trained and certified personnel. The plans address temperature, relative humidity, wind, and other conditions under which a burn can take place, protection of adjacent properties, communications, needed manpower and equipment, safety, and other considerations.

The piles will be burned while surrounding vegetation is not flammable. If conditions are not favorable on the day when burning is planned or while piles are still hot, the burn will be rescheduled, or piles may be extinguished.

For additional information or to request a copy of the Fire Management Plan, contact the St. Croix River Visitor Center in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, at 715-483-2274 or SACN_info@nps.gov or visit here.