The Kane County Forest Preserve District reports that fewer acres of land underwent prescribed burns this year, but the the staff remains optimistic that more burn weather will be possible in December.

About 1,500 acres of land were on the fall 2014 burn list, but the weather was too cold or snowy all month to effectively burn many sites, according to a report on the agenda of the upcoming Dec. 9 Forest Preserve Commission meeting.

Working side-by-side with Operations Department staff, the Natural Resources crew provided expertise and equipment on burns at Aurora West, Burnidge and Otter Creek forest preserves. The North Operations staff are able to run burns without the Natural Resources crew and were able to complete a grassland burn at Burnidge and a woodland burn at Freeman Kame Forest Preserves.

“We remain optimistic more burn weather will be in the December forecast,” the report said.

High-quality sites which are designated as Illinois Nature Preserves always take first priority on the burn list.

Before a prescribed burn, trained staff survey the preserve and create a detailed plan of action. They then carefully monitor the weather and wait until conditions are right, to minimize the chance of smoke blowing toward homes and roads. District staff also notifies neighboring residents via mail, so that those with health concerns can avoid the smoke.

Information is also posted on the Web site at www.kaneforest.com and on the district’s various social media.

Grassland/wetland sites targeted for the fall burn season include portions of the following (in order of priority):

• Dick Young Forest Preserve in Batavia
• LeRoy Oakes (the Murray Prairie) in St. Charles
• Pingree Grove Forest Preserve in Hampshire
• Sauer Family/Prairie Kame Forest Preserve in Elburn
• Burnidge Forest Preserve in Elgin
• Aurora West Forest Preserve in Aurora
• Otter Creek Forest Preserve in Elgin
• Kenyon Farm Forest Preserve in South Elgin
• Grunwald Farms Forest Preserve in Elburn
• Mill Creek Forest Preserve in Batavia
• Bolcum Road Wetlands in St. Charles

Woodland sites targeted for this burn season include portions of the following (in order of priority):

• Helm Woods Forest Preserve in Barrington
• Bliss Woods Forest Preserve in Sugar Grove
• Freeman-Kame Forest Preserve/Camp Tomo Chi-Chi Knolls in Gilberts
• Hannaford Woods/Nickels Farm Forest Preserve in Sugar Grove
• Blackberry Maples Forest Preserve in Elburn
• Fabyan Forest Preserve in Geneva
• Burnidge Forest Preserve in Elgin
• Andersen Woods Forest Preserve in Saint Charles
• Elburn Forest Preserve in Elburn
• Glenwood Park Forest Preserve in Batavia