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Beatrice - Homestead National Monument of America will not be conducting a prescribed burn on the restored tallgrass prairie this spring.With 5.81 inches of rain since the beginning of May, optimal conditions for a spring burn are being pushed farther into May and running into bird breeding season. The monument will be on the lookout for favorable weather conditions later this summer, most likely late August, or early September.The areas schedule to be burned are the unit that is nearest the Heritage Center and the unit that is between the walking trail starting at the Freeman Grave site and State Highway 4.That area was last burned on September 8, 2011. "Late spring prescribe fire is a great tool for fighting invasive, cool season grasses like smooth brome.Since the weather did not cooperate we have shifted gears and decided to do a late summer prescribed fire.Burning during the late summer knocks back the warm season grasses and allows native flowers to get a head start the next growing season, increasing the overall biodiversity,” said Mark Engler, Superintendent of Homestead National Monument of America. Remember, Homestead National Monument of America has an exciting schedule of events planned for 2015. Keep up with the latest information by following us on Twitter (HomesteadNM), Facebook (HomesteadNM), and Instagram (HomesteadNPS). Homestead National Monument of America is a unit of the National Park Service located four miles west of Beatrice, Nebraska and 45 miles south of Lincoln. Hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.Monday through Friday, and9 a.m. to 5 p.m.Saturdayand Sunday. Admission is free of charge. For additional information, please call 402-223-3514 or visit https://www.nps.gov/home/ EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA TM |
Last updated: May 23, 2015