Alley Spring Prescribed Burn

Ozark National Scenic Riverways, MO

Prescribed Fire Treatment Started on or about 03/13/2012
Status as of 04/19/2012
This project is 100% complete Cause Project
Location (MO)

Acreage Treated
826 acres

Percent Completed 100%

Estimated Completion Date March 21, 2012

Overview
On March 13, 2012, the Alley Spring Prescribed Burn was initiated at Ozark National Scenic Riverways, with blacklining and a large portion of the interior burned. Additional interior ignition operations were conducted on March 14 and March 20. This 826-acre prescribed burn encompassed 325 acres of NPS land and 501 acres of state land in Angeline Conservation Area.

Vegetation Affected Mixed hardwoods/pine

Benefits of the Burn
The NPS objectives for this prescribed burn were to maintain and expand glade complexes, increase native species diversity, and reduce hazard fuel accumulations. An additional objective for the Missouri Department of Conservation was to reduce an extreme amount of hazardous fuel loading that had resulted from a wind event in May 2009.

Values to be Protected
Ozark National Scenic Riverways preserves a number of historic structures relevant to Ozark culture. Alley Mill, a steel roller mill constructed in 1894, sits adjacent to the burn unit. Nestled at the base of a picturesque bluff on the bank of Alley Spring, it was once the social center of a small Ozark hamlet. It is a significant cultural resource and a symbol of community pride for locals. In fact, Alley Mill was selected as the image to represent the National Park Service in Missouri when the U.S. Mint announced it's America the Beautiful Quarters Program. One natural resource issue that had to be addressed during the implementation of the prescribed burn was the close proximity of a bat hibernaculum to the edge of the burn unit. Branson Cave was excluded from the burn, and conducting the burn with a wind direction that would put smoke in the cave entrance was avoided in order to reduce impacts to hibernating or emerging bats.

Partners Involved
Firefighters from Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Buffalo Wildland Fire Module, Black Hills Wildland Fire Module, Midwest Regional Office, Americorps, and Missouri Department of Conservation conducted this prescribed burn.

Contact Information
Dena Matteson
573-323-8028
dena_matteson@nps.gov

Smoke column over Alley Mill.