The National Park Service plans to conduct a prescribed fires this spring at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The four 2021 treatment units cover just under 2,500 acres within the National Lakeshore’s Platte River District in Benzie County, between Esch and Peterson Roads and north of M-22.

Trained and experienced federal fire personnel will conduct the prescribed fires, a management tool used to maintain healthy ecosystems, replenish fire-dependent ecosystems, reduce available fuels in the event of wildfire, and assist with the management of invasive species.

The White Pine Backcountry Campground and some of the small roads and trails in the park will be closed to visitors during the active burning period, with the actual burn date(s) depending upon favorable weather conditions. To ensure safe execution of the prescribed fire, and effective conservation of the dry northern forest and wooded swales, the burn will be conducted only under a specific set of weather and fuel conditions, or a “prescription.” NPS fire staff will monitor weather forecasts and fuel moisture to determine when or if conditions are met. In addition to safety, smoke dispersal is a primary concern, and wind direction and speed will be monitored prior to ignition to minimize smoke drifting into developed areas and roadways from the fire location. 

The area of Platte Plains to be burned contains unique, fire-dependent plant communities known as dry northern forest and wooded swale. Dry northern forest is typically dominated by a mix of hardwoods and jack pine or red pine. Wooded swales are low areas between post-glacial ridges that support forested wetlands and a variety of wildflowers and other herbaceous plants. Both are important to the diversity of the Sleeping Bear Dunes ecosystem.

Red and jack pine usually rely on fire to regenerate and many of the species found within wooded swales need openings in the canopy for access to sunlight. Without fire as a disturbance, the slow encroachment of hardwood species and shrubs eventually outcompetes the pines, altering community composition and canopy structure. Conserving these remnants of high quality dry northern forests and wooded swales through prescribed burns will allow National Lakeshore visitors to continue to experience an ecosystem that represents a bygone, wild component of Michigan’s natural history. In addition, burning under controlled conditions will reduce the risk of uncontrolled wildfire in the future.

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) provides funding for these prescribed fires as part of its purpose in protecting and restoring the Great Lakes, the largest system of fresh surface water in the world. The Platte Plains prescribed fire supports GLRI’s goals of protecting imperiled native plant and animal habitats and controlling invasive plant species around the Great Lakes.

Updates regarding burning activities will be posted as “alerts” on the park website.