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Management and maintenance of established prairie ecosystems are usually minimal once established, requiring no more than seasonal monitoring and applying the best practice method to control the desired outcome.

The following guidelines should be followed during management and maintenance for established prairies:

• Perform ecological assessments as deemed necessary.

• Select appropriate management techniques to control targeted species or to achieve desired results.

• Vary maintenance techniques such as the application of herbicides, prescribed burns and mowing to allow refuge for wildlife and facilitate species diversification.

• Reintroduce desired species of prairie wildflowers and grasses as required.

• Record management techniques and results of action both past and present.

• Create buffers along edges of open space using native plant material where appropriate to allow for wildlife migration.

• Create screening along private property lines when necessary using

native plant material when practical.

• Use mowing strips to create appropriate transitions along bike paths and residential borders where deemed necessary.

• Monitor regularly and apply

appropriate maintenance action as site inspection dictates.

Prescribed Burning

“Prescribed burning” refers to fires that have been intentionally set under the right conditions and with a specific purpose in mind. Prescribed burning is often used by forest resource and land managers as a means to eliminate the buildup of brush, grasses and other combustible debris on forest floors, fields and grasslands, thus eliminating the chance of unpredictable wildfires.

Prescribed burning may be conducted only by Certified Burn Managers trained by Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry (ODNR-Forestry). Permits for performing a prescribed burn are required by Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) and the ODNR-Forestry division. Local fire departments must also be notified.

Outdoor burning in Ohio is regulated by Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR)