Crews plan to burn parkland near Mount Pisgah

By KVAL News Published: Sep 22, 2011 at 4:40 PM PDT
Crews plan to burn parkland near Mount Pisgah
File image from a 2008 prescribed burn at the park

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. - Firefighters plan to set part of Lane County's largest park on fire Friday.

All trails on the east and south ends of Howard Buford Recreation Area, home of Mount Pisgah Arboretum, will be closed, including the parking lot off of Ridgeway Road.

Trails on the west side of the park, including trails in the Arboretum and the West Summit Trail, will remain open.

Lane County Parks, Friends of Buford Park and Mount Pisgah, and the Oregon Department of Forestry are partnering on the burn.

The fire will serve two purposes:

  • To provide wildland training for firefighter agencies in Lane County.
     
  • To provide ecological benefits for restoration efforts within the park to manage vegetation in the Meadowlark Prairie and Oak Savanna area to help re-establish historically native plant species in this rare Willamette Valley habitat. >>> Watch a video explaining how this works

This activity is dependent on favorable weather conditions, organizer said. If postponed, an update will be provided to the community.