Travis County Parks plans to conduct a prescribed burn at Pace Bend Park on Monday, February 12, 2018. 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 150 acres of oak-juniper woodlands and grasslands and will help maintain these plant communities by removing invading shrubs, reducing the number of exotic species and enhancing the health and diversity of the native plant community.
The prescribed burn may be conducted with north or south winds. The winds will carry smoke to the north or south across the Park, Lake Travis and the communities to the north or south. 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 will be closed. A portion of the main park road will be closed on the west side of the park.
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 that fires have on emergency responders. Burn bans do not limit all fire use. Cooking and welding, for example 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 78699.
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 James Taylor at (512) 755-3617 for inquiries, or check in at the park fee booth for additional information.
