People traveling up and down the North Shore may have noticed some blackened grass on the north side of the highway near the U.S. Forest Service building in Tofte. Yes, it was burned, and yes, it was on purpose.
Cory Berg of the Superior National Forest Tofte District described it as a “small prescribed burn.” He said the goal was to get rid of old matted grass in order to help produce a green, healthy lawn. This is done at the Gunflint District office as well, he said.
The Forest Service has been doing a lot of “wildlife burns” this spring, Berg said, that open clearings for wildlife like deer, moose, and certain species of butterflies. These burns are “generally smaller in size” than burns conducted to reduce fire hazard, he said. The Forest Service usually does these when the snow is still on the ground. In addition to the areas around the administrative buildings, wildlife burns are done in more remote areas that can be reached by helicopter.
It is unlikely that the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, which issues burning permits for property owners, will allow private citizens to burn their own lawns in preparation for summer. If the Forest Service needs more practice, they could probably find plenty of homeowners who would be glad to offer their lawns in the name of promoting the public good.
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