Among the yearly duties of the Washington County Conservation Board is performing a series of prescribed burns to the properties they oversee. Conservation Director Steve Anderson says the burns help maintain native grass stands and prairies. According to Anderson, the plan the board discussed at their recent meeting was the maximum amount of burns they could perform with ideal weather cooperation, but he admits it’s likely they won’t get to all of them.

Anderson said, “It seems like, at this point in time, that spring’s maybe coming early, which will allow our prescribed burns to begin early. But everyone knows that the weather in Iowa can be temperamental, and it may turn around and not get the be early. But for sure, before May 1st we’re all done with it. Because once wildlife starts having young, and nesting, and all that, then we definitely shut it down. Whatever we get done, we get done, and don’t go any beyond that.” He added, the popular Night Burn at Marr Park, which they do in conjunction with local fire departments, will return in late March or early April. The board will alert the public when they will perform burns at other locations, so they will know ahead of time to stay out of the area.