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Contact: Eric Gabriel, 608-798-8690
CROSS PLAINS, Wis. – The National Park Service Ice Age National Scenic Trail is planning to conduct three prescribed fires, weather and conditions dependent, between April 6 – April 30, 2025, totaling approximately 93 acres near Cross Plains.
“The unique ecosystems of the Driftless Region cannot be maintained without the proper use of prescribed fire,” said NPS Fire Ecologist Scott Weyenberg. “Wisconsin has a history of wildfires going back hundreds of years, causing much of the state to consist of fire-adapted vegetation. Our prescribed fires help to maintain that uniqueness.
”The NPS will burn three separate parcels at the NPS property. The South Savanna Unit is 32 acres, the North Savanna Unit is 57 acres, and a small, 4-acre portion of NPS land along Timber Lane, east of the main property will be burned.
Over the past several years, Dane County Parks, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have all conducted prescribed fires in the Glacial Passage Area on their adjacent or nearby respective lands to manage the forests and prairies.
An online map of the planned prescribed fire areas can be found at this link.
Prescribed Fire is a tool used across the state and region to restore natural areas, remove invasive species, and reduce the threat from wildfires by removing hazardous fuels. More information on prescribed fire in the National Parks can be found at https://www.nps.gov/articles/what-is-a-prescribed-fire.htm.
Information on prescribed burns, fire danger and burn permits in Wisconsin can be found at https://apps.dnr.wi.gov/wisburn.
Last updated: April 4, 2025