Government Canyon State Natural Area to Hold Public Meeting

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has scheduled a public meeting regarding plans to conduct a 179-acre prescribed fire within Government Canyon State Natural Area (GCSNA) in San Antonio this Fall.

As weather conditions permit TPWD plans to burn a small portion of the Natural Area as part of a land management strategy to reduce woodland fuels capable of supporting dangerous wildfires and restore historic plant and animal habitats.

A detailed prescribed fire plan has been completed detailing the burn objectives required weather conditions and operational procedures in addition to staff equipment and other resources required to effectively conduct the burn.  TPWD is working with the Texas Forest Service City of San Antonio Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and various other stakeholders to gather input for the planned management activities and ensure compliance with all applicable regulations.

Safety is the first priority during a prescribed burn.  TPWD fire personnel consider all current and forecasted weather conditions to predict fire behavior and smoke dispersal.  Burns are only conducted when conditions indicate they will meet land management objectives while preventing threats to adjacent properties and smoke-sensitive-areas.  TPWD’s prescribed fires are conducted by the agency’s trained firefighters which have experience igniting monitoring and containing fires on public lands.

According to TPWD fire is a natural component of many ecosystems including much of Bexar County’s woodlands and prairies.  Prior to Euro-American settlement frequent fires maintained a diverse landscape of woodland savannahs and open prairies within the region. 

Most of these fires were started either by lightening strikes or Native Americans who are believed to have used fire for agricultural and hunting/gathering purposes.  In modern times natural resource management agencies such as TPWD utilize prescribed fire to mimic these historic disturbances in a prescribed and controlled manner to maintain ecosystem health while protecting surrounding citizens and property owners.

The public meeting will be held at 7:00pm on Thursday July 26th at Government Canyon State Natural Area 12861 Galm Road in San Antonio.  All interested citizens are invited to attend.  There will be a presentation of the planned prescribed fire activities and an opportunity for attendees to ask questions and provide comments.  For questions about the meeting contact GCSNA at 210-688-9055.