Family-Outdoors

Much of the remaining prairie in the Midwest Region is fragmented and surrounded by agriculture or threatened by urban sprawl. Along with our counterparts with state agencies, we have been working to replace or restore our prairies for several decades. Unfortunately, tall warm-season grasses are often dominated when trying to emulate a native prairie restoration. Early prairie seed mix contained more grasses like Indian grass, big bluestem and switchgrass than forbs like blazing star, aromatic aster and beardstongue. This is one reason why prairie restorations often result in nothing more than tall grass monocultures. We recently have moved away from seeding that results in monolithic stands of grass to providing an increase of diversity in prairie seed mixes. We currently plant seed mixes with less than five pounds per acre of grass seed and as many forbs as we can afford for that project. However, these plantings, many of which were not supposed to contain any tall grasses, ca...

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia) As hunting seasons and other fall outdoor activities get underway, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department reminds hunters, anglers and other enthusiasts to be aware of the daily fire danger index. Recent high daytime temperatures combined with typical dry late-summer ground conditions, could mean an elevated fire danger index that influences outdoor activities over the Labor Day weekend and continuing throughout the fall. Hunters are urged to keep up with the daily rural fire danger index, issued by the National Weather Service, to alert the public to conditions that may be conducive to accidental starting or spread of fires. In addition, county governments have the authority to adopt penalties for violations of county restrictions related to burning bans. These restrictions apply regardless of the daily fire danger index, and remain in place until each county’s commission rescinds the ban. Hunters should consider bringing along a ...

Extreme dry conditions increase threat of wildfire so prevention is critical.   JEFFERSON CITY Mo – Effective immediately, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has issued a FIRE BAN on all conservation areas. The fire ban includes prohibiting campfires and other open fires, including charcoal grills. The fire ban does permit the use of contained camp stoves and charcoal cooking fires in concrete or metal fire rings. The use of firewood in cooking fires is prohibited under the fire ban.   The use of fireworks is already prohibited on conservation areas under the Wildlife Code of Missouri .   “The fire ban is an effort to prevent wildfires under these extreme dry conditions,” said MDC Wildland Fire Supervisor Ben Webster. “The fire ban on all conservation areas will stay in effect until weather conditions change and we get significant rain.”   The U.S Forest Service and numerous counties and communities have also issued fire bans.    ...

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) LANSING, Mich. - Gov. Rick Snyder today declared a state of disaster in the Upper Peninsula counties of Luce and Schoolcraft to make available all state resources to protect public health and safety in ongoing efforts to fight the wildfires already engulfing more than 20,000 acres. The declaration also may permit authorities to evacuate, and establishes a fireworks ban in the two affected counties and an outdoor burning ban in 49 counties. Snyder also issued  Executive Order 2012-8  activating the National Guard to provide assistance. The  declaration , outlined in a proclamation, was requested by the Michigan State Police, Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division (MSP/EMHSD). The declaration ensures that all possible resources, in accordance with the Michigan Emergency Management Plan, are provided to assist response efforts in the form of personnel, supplies, equipment, materials and ...

Image via Wikipedia Peat fires can be a common occurrence during a dry Minnesota summer. They are normally rare in the middle of the winter, but this season may be an exception. The winter peat fire Dec. 26 near the town of Gully in Polk County, which was ignited by a surface fire in grass and brush, is an example of the increased challenges faced by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and local fire fighters. They battled cold, wintery conditions to control the fire before ultimately putting it out. “It’s unusual for us to be battling a peat fire at this time of year,” said Brian Pisarek, DNR Northeast Region program forester and peat fire expert. “The lack of precipitation this fall made conditions just right for something like this to happen.” There have been several other wildfires that resulted in peat ignition in northwestern Minnesota from fall through early January. That’s a testament to the unusual weather conditions in Minnesota recently. Flooding the burn...