State Parks Department Talks About Controlled Burns & Why They Need Them

It’s almost predictable in the lake area…the department of conservation conducts a controlled burn in the state park with smoke visible for miles prompting several calls to local fire districts wondering “what’s on fire?”.

Adam Enboden is the Deputy Regional Director for Missouri State Parks…he says the M-D-C conducts a number of prescribed burns every year which are beneficial to wildlife by clearing up leaf litter and other debris.

“Kind of opens up the understory to allow more light in to generate more native folliage coming up behind it. And we do this on a typically on a three to five year cycle for most of our burn units.”

Just last week, the department torched about 500-acres in Ha Ha Tonka State Park which, according to Enboden, was one of multiple planned controlled burns by the M-D-C which are described as cheaper alternatives to the use of herbicides.

The department of conservation also recommends, before doing any personal  burns, to contact local fire districts first to find out if it’s a good day to do it or not.