Workers with Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest plan to burn approximately 2,500 acres near Iron River within the coming days.
Weather conditions will determine exactly when the prescribed burn will happen, but forecasts indicate that conditions could be favorable Friday through Sunday. The burn will happen nine miles northeast of Iron River.
The goal of the burn is to help restore a pine barrens ecosystem, which consists of a few scattered mature pines in an area dominated by grasses and forbs. Such habitat supports a number of species, including sharp-tailed grouse, upland sandpiper, eastern bluebirds, chryxus arctic and tawny crescent butterflies.
The populations of many species that use pine barrens are declining because of the scarcity of the habitat. At the time of white settlement, Wisconsin had 2.3 million acres of such habitat. Today less than 1 percent remains. Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest manages approximately 15,000 acres of barrens habitat.
