Prescribed Burn at Herbert Hoover NHS

West Branch, Iowa - The staff at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site is planning a prescription burn in the reconstructed tallgrass prairie. Because prescribed burns are so dependent on weather conditions, we have been keeping an eye on the weather outlook over the last few weeks. Per the National Park Service Fire Management Officer (FMO) who oversees the fire program for us, next week has been identified as the best time this fall to hold a prescribed burn.
The park staff is planning to burn Prairie Management Units (see attached prairie map) 1 and 2, which are approximately a total of 35 acres. This burn will be conducted under the guidance of National Park Service fire personnel. The objective of the controlled burn is to reduce wildfire risk and enhance the tallgrass prairie through the reduction of fuel loads and woody species. Most of the park will remain open to visitors during the burn, but the prairie will be temporary closed to ensure visitor safety. Additionally, the Loop Road will be closed to vehicular traffic while the burn is taking place. Pedestrians will be welcome to walk in but are asked to stay inside the Loop Road to observe the burn. We ask that the road itself be kept clear to allow fire equipment to move around as needed. The burn is expected to last one day.

Tallgrass prairie once covered more than 140 million acres of the United States. Nearly all of it is gone, plowed under for agriculture. Prairies respond to their environment, which include soil type, water availability, and natural processes such as grazing and fire. Most ecologists agree that for the last 5,000 years, prairie vegetation would have mostly disappeared if it had not been for the burning of these grasslands. With prescribed fire, these fragile ecosystems will be preserved for generations to come. Areas of reconstructed tallgrass prairie can be found at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site.