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Release Date: December 20, 2016
Contact: Marvin Achtenberg, marvin_achtenberg@nps.gov 605-574-3195
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Prescribed
Burn Reducing Slash Piles
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.