TRAVIS COUNTY, Tx- Travis County Parks plans to conduct a prescribed burn at Pace Bend Park on Wednesday, July 19, 2017. The prescribed burn will take place between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., and will take three to six hours to complete. Travis County Parks is conducting the burn in cooperation with personnel from the local fire departments and natural resource agencies.
The prescribed burn includes approximately 117 acres of live oak savannahs and will help maintain this plant community by removing invading shrubs, reducing the number of exotic species and enhancing the health and diversity of the native plant community.
The prescribed burn will be conducted with southeasterly winds which will carry smoke to the northwest across the Park, Lake Travis, and the communities to the northwest. Some smoke impacts may occur, but they should be relatively light due to the weather conditions and the distance between the prescribed burn and the adjacent communities.
The park will remain open; however, some portions of the park will be closed and access along the main park road may be delayed. Currently, the interior of the park (including the mountain biking trails) and a portion of the west side of the park (Collier Boat Ramp to Thrasher Cove) will be closed for a portion of the week. A portion of the park road along the west side of the park will be closed and access along the east side of the park will be reduced to one lane during the prescribed burn. Other portions of the park may be impacted by smoke.
Travis County is currently under a burn ban. Burn bans limit certain types of fire-use in order to minimize the potential for accidental fires and to reduce the impact fires have on emergency responders. Burn bans do not limit all fire use (cooking, welding, etc.), and many activities are allowed with certain restrictions. Prescribed-burn managers conduct prescribed burns during burn bans because conditions are favorable for meeting established objectives. Land managers, regulators and emergency responders coordinate the implementation of the prescribed burns.
Pace Bend Park is located at 2805 Pace Bend Road North, Spicewood, TX 78669.
Media: The prescribed burn is located adjacent to the main road, and in order to minimize impacts to traffic and provide for the safety of the park users and fire management staff, no media will be allowed on-site. Please contact Park Supervisor, James Taylor at (512) 755-3617 or Parks Land Manager, Glen Gilman at (512) 844-7480 for inquiries, or check in at the park fee booth for additional information.
