Part of Lincoln’s Wilderness Park to close due to controlled burn

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – A part of Wilderness Park will be closed Tuesday due to a controlled burn.

Lincoln Parks and Recreation staff will be conducting the burn from 1 to 4 p.m. in Wilderness Park, just north of Saltillo Road.

City officials said the yellow and red trails between the bridge at trail marker 74 and the Saltillo Road parking lot will be closed until noon on Wednesday.

“Controlled burns are an effective and important tool to manage large areas of land that are host to native plants and grasses,” said Aaron Druery, greenways district supervisor for Lincoln Parks and Rec, in a press release. “The process helps control invasive species like cedar trees in prairies before they can cause overcrowding and competition with desired vegetation, lowers the risk of wildfires by managing the space and volume of tinder, and improves habitat for wildlife and plant diversity, therefore creating a more ecologically resilient community.”

Druery said crews will monitor air quality while performing the controlled burn.