PRESCOTT – On March 17, the Prescott Fire Department conducted a prescribed burn at Freedom Park in Prescott. The burn is part of a multi-year effort to restore the globally rare bluff prairie at the park, called a 'goat prairie' due to the steep terrain.

Over the last two years, a herd of goats helped remove invasive and undesirable woody species such as buckthorn, black locust, prickly ash, and sumac. Now fire will hopefully unleash latent native seeds that require heat in order to germinate.

More than 16,000 people from all over the world visit Freedom Park and the Great River Road Visitor & Learning Center every year. The goat prairie is an important part of the story that Freedom Park tells about life at the confluence of two great rivers.

More information is available at freedomparkwi. org and on the Great River Road Visitor & Learning Center's social media channels.

Submitted by Israel Haas

Prescott Fire Department conducts the first ever prescribed burn at Freedom Park on March 17.Photo courtesy of Israel Haas

Prescott Fire Chief Tom Lytle oversees first ever prescribed burn on globally-rare bluff prairie at Freedom Park in Prescott. Photo courtesy of Israel Haas