Prescribed burns in Wilder Ranch State Park continues, park shares photos
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION) California State Parks has been conducting prescribed burns at Wilder Ranch State Park in Santa Cruz County since Oct. 27 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. They plan to continue until the end of the week on Nov. 5.
If you're driving on Highway 1 or around the Monterey Bay area, you may see smoke during the day.
Wilder Ranch State Park shared the images below from their prescribed burns last week.
Local burn association explains how prescribed burns work
November is National Native American Heritage Month and the State Park partnered with Amah Mutsun Native Stewardship Corps, a Native American organization whose ancestors have been maintaining the grasslands for over 10 thousand years.
Amah Mutsun Native Stewardship Corps was also awarded $400 thousand to carry out indigenous-based conservation and restoration work at Quiroste Valley Cultural Preserve (QVCP) in Año Nuevo State Park.
"In addition to ecological benefits and reduced wildfire risk resulting from prescribed burns," Wilder Ranch State Park said in a social media post, "Collaborative projects based on Traditional Ecological Knowledge can help to restore relationships between people and land and re-connect Indigenous communities to lands and resources that were forcibly taken away."
Multiple trails closed while the State Park burns about 600 acres. Among those trails include Enchanted Loop, Baldwin Loop, Wilder Ridge and Zane Gray Cutoff Loop.
The county recommends those who live near the area to avoid strenuous outdoor activity and should remain indoors as much as possible. The county is also advising people not to call 9-1-1 if they happen to see smoke in the area that is close to this burn site.
