Prior Lake, Minnesota – The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) is planning prescribed burns for approximately 140 acres in several locations on the reservation, as early as mid- to late-October, with four additional burns planned for local areas off the reservation. The SMSC conducts prescribed burns on reservation lands and in neighboring governments’ jurisdictions each fall and spring as an effective land management tool.

A prescribed burn is an intentionally lit, low-intensity fire used by land managers to replicate natural fires. In the fall, these burns are conducted after green foliage dies and turns brown. All prescribed burns are entirely dependent upon weather conditions such as relative humidity, temperature, and wind speed and direction.

Planned locations

The SMSC plans to hold prescribed burns in the following, neighboring locations:

5-acre oak savanna/wetland complex at Lakefront Park northwest of Prior Lake – requested by the City of Prior Lake
30-acre area at Spring Lake Park Reserve southeast of County Road 82 and Howard Lake Road – requested by Three Rivers Park District, Scott County, and the City of Prior Lake
20-acre Scott County Wetland Mitigation unit southwest of Highway 282 and Redwing Trail – requested by Scott County
5-acre area northwest of Highway 13 and Five Hawks Avenue in Prior Lake – requested by Five Hawks Elementary School

“Our priorities this fall are leading local prescribed burns in cooperation with several of our neighbors in Prior Lake and Scott County,” said SMSC Director of Land and Natural Resources Stan Ellison. “Prescribed burns bring many environmental benefits, including adding nutrients to the soil, releasing native seed banks, rejuvenating native prairie grasses, removing dead biomass, helping kill invasive species, and reducing the risk of wildfires.”

Prescribed burns planned on the SMSC reservation in Prior Lake and Shakopee include:

40-acre prairie at the southeast corner of McKenna Road and County Road 16
20-acre prairie southwest of the intersection of County Roads 83 and 42
15-acre wetland and upland area east of the SMSC Public Works building
5-acre wetland fringe on County Road 82 near Arctic Lake

The SMSC is conducting these burns at no charge and using its own resources. Staff from the SMSC Land and Natural Resources Department who are trained in wild land firefighting conduct the prescribed burns on the reservation, assisted by Mdewakanton Public Safety and staff from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). The prescribed burns are lit and managed following best practices.

About the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community

The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community is a federally recognized, sovereign Indian tribe located southwest of Minneapolis/St. Paul. With a focus on being a good neighbor, good steward of the earth, and good employer, the SMSC is committed to community partnerships, charitable donations, a healthy environment, and a strong economy. The SMSC and the SMSC Gaming Enterprise (Mystic Lake Casino Hotel and Little Six Casino) are the largest employer in Scott County. Out of a Dakota tradition to help others, the SMSC has also donated nearly $272 million to organizations and causes and paid more than $7.6 million for shared local road projects since 1992, in addition to funding its own infrastructure and contributing generously to regional governments and infrastructure.