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Flint Hills Smoke Management Plan Development
The Flint Hills region of Kansas is the largest tract of unplowed tallgrass prairie in North America and one of the few large areas of native prairie remaining in the United States. Range management practices used throughout the region dictate that fire be used as a tool to prevent intrusion of weeds and woody plants into the stand of prairie grass present, as well as a means to improve the productivity of the rangeland for ranching practices. For the benefits of fire as a rangeland management tool to be realized, burning must be initiated at the proper time. Burning of the tallgrass prairie generally occurs in early to mid-April.
With the majority of prescribed burning activities occurring during this time period, a large amount of particulate matter and ozone precursors are released into the air during a relatively short time period.
In past years during the burning season, Kansas Ambient Air Monitoring Network monitors have recorded elevated concentrations of both inhalable particles that are generally 10 micrometers and smaller in diameter (PM-10) and ozone as well as other pollutants downwind of the Flint Hills region. This has led to an increased interest in the air quality, not only in Kansas, but throughout the United States during the time frame in which the majority of prescribed burning activities occur.
Kansas Flint Hills Smoke Management Plan
The State of Kansas, with the assistance of many stakeholders, developed a smoke management plan to address air quality concerns caused by the annual burning of the tallgrass prairie in the Flint Hills of Kansas.
April Burn Restrictions
View the April Burn Restrictions (PDF). Affected counties include:
- Butler
- Chase
- Chautauqua
- Cowley
- Elk
- Geary
- Greenwood
- Johnson
- Lyon
- Marion
- Morris
- Pottawatomie
- Riley
- Sedgwick
- Wabaunsee
- Wyandotte
Meetings
Concerns about the impacts of burning in the Flint Hills region on air quality prompted the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) to organize the Kansas Flint Hills Smoke Management Advisory Committee. The Committee began the process of developing a Flint Hills Smoke Management Plan (SMP) through a series of meetings in 2010. KDHE reached out to a diverse group of stakeholders to observe these meetings and provide access to information about this issue. This group of diverse interests included:
- Conservation and agribusiness organizations
- Fire protection agencies
- Kansas State University
- Livestock producers and ranchers
- Local governments
- Other interested parties
Wichita Meeting December 16, 2010
- Draft Kansas Flint Hills Smoke Management Plan (PDF)
- Wichita Meeting Attendance Sheet (PDF)
- Wichita Meeting Presentation (PDF)
- Wichita Meeting Press Release (PDF)
- Wichita Meeting Response to Comments (PDF)
- Wichita Meeting SMP Fact Sheet (PDF)
Emporia Meeting November 15, 2010
- November 15, 2010 Email Invitation (PDF)
- November 15, 2010 Meeting Agenda (PDF)
- November 15, 2010 Meeting Attendance List (PDF)
- November 15, 2010 Meeting Presentation (PDF)
Emporia Meeting August 17, 2010
- Emporia August 2010 Meeting Agenda (PDF)
- Emporia August 2010 Meeting Attendance List (PDF)
- Emporia August 2010 Meeting Presentation:
- Emporia Email Invitation August (PDF)
Newton Meeting April 9, 2010
Monitoring Data & Analysis
Guides & Technical Documents
- EPA 1998 Interim Air Quality Policy on Wildland and Prescribed Fires (PDF)
- EPA Cover Memo to Interim Air Quality Policy on Wildland and Prescribed Fires (PDF)
- Exceptional Events Rule 2007 (PDF)
- Exceptional Events Rule Revised 2016 (PDF)
- Kansas Statutes Relevant to Issue (PDF)
- KDHE - Mixing Height, Transport Wind, and Category Day Information (PDF)
- Meteorological Conditions for Favorable Smoke Dispersal (PDF)
- Relevant Websites (PDF)
- Title 40.50.14 Exceptional Events Document (PDF)