Prescribed burns planned near Roberts this April

ROBERTS, Idaho (KIFI) - Several prescribed burns are scheduled near the Roberts area in early April, as Idaho Fish and Game Upper Snake Region and the Bureau of Land Management work to clear large portions of the Market Lake Wildlife Management Area (WMA) of excess vegetation.

Large portions of the Market Lake WMA will be closed to public access during the burn period, according to a post to the Idaho Fish and Game Upper Snake Facebook page.

 "Depending on weather and fuel conditions, the prescribed burns will take place April 2 or April 7... For everyone’s safety, the public is asked to please obey all area closure signs," Idaho Fish and Game conservation officers write in the post.

According to conservation officers, the burn will create more open spaces and eliminate excess vegetation across the wetland. They say that without the disturbance, the dominant vegetation will choke out new growth and limit benefits to area waterfowl.

"To maintain the preferred 50:50 split of cattail/bulrush to open water, fires set the wetland back to early successional stages that are more productive.  These early successional stages have more openings for waterfowl and provide them with access to annual wetland plants, submerged vegetation, and aquatic invertebrates for foraging. Waterfowl hunters will also benefit from improved access into areas that were previously inaccessible before the burn," says the post.

For more information regarding the prescribed burns in the Market Lake WMA, click HERE.