Travis County Parks, in cooperation with Travis County Natural Resources, plans to conduct a prescribed burn on 15 acres of the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve’s Kotrla Tract on March 1, 2022. The prescribed burn will occur between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., and will be completed that day. Following the burn, County staff and other partners will work to ensure the fire has been fully extinguished. This process can take up to seven days and neighbors may see smoke during this time.
Travis County Parks is conducting the prescribed burn in cooperation with personnel from Travis County Natural Resources, local fire departments, and natural resource agencies.
The prescribed burn is intended to improve habitat for the black-capped vireo by removing invading shrubs, consuming dead and downed vegetation, reducing the number of exotic species, and enhancing the health and diversity of the native plant community.
The prescribed burn may be conducted with any wind direction, but at this time, southerly wind directions are anticipated, which will carry the fire to the north across the preserve towards nearby communities. However, due to the small size of the prescribed burn and the distance between the prescribed burn and the adjacent communities, smoke impacts are expected to be relatively light.
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.
The Kotrla Tract is located at 22941 Nameless Road, Leander, TX 78641.
Media note: Please call the PIO (contact listed below) for additional information. The project is relatively remote and access will be limited.
- Hector Nieto, Travis County PIO, 956-251-2902
- Glen Gillman, Park Land Manager, 512-844-7480
