Date: December 20, 2016
Contact: Marvin Achtenberg, 605-574-3195
KEYSTONE, S.D. – Tuesday, December 20 Mount Rushmore National Memorial will implement a prescribed burn to reduce accumulated slash piles in support of the park’s fire management plan. The burns will be ignited in the south east part of the memorial today.
Visitors may see hand crews working in the forest, burning slash piles or experience drifting smoke and haze throughout the burn period. Natural barriers within the prescribed section ensure a clear and safe operational area. The prescription includes burning residual slash piles, removal of needle accumulation and minimal ground cover.
Mount Rushmore National Memorial has successfully completed several fuel-reducing projects in the past several years in an attempt to provide a means to stop or slow the growth of any unwanted wildfire. These projects have included thinning, through prescribed fire or mechanical removal, overcrowded stands of timber near critical structures and areas within the memorial.
