DETROIT (WXYZ) — The City of Detroit has postponed three controlled burns in several neighborhood parks today that were meant to help improve the ecosystem and cut pollution.
A city spokesperson tells 7 Action News that the air quality conditions were not right for the burns.
The prescribed burns were originally scheduled to happen in Palmer Park, Riverside Park and Rouge Park.
"Prescribed burning could become a very important maintenance tool for Detroit parks," explained Jeff Klein, Deputy Chief of Landscape Architecture, General Services Department, in a statement. "Prescribed Burning is being piloted for use as a management tool in parks, natural areas, and bird meadows. It has proven to be a very effective tool for reducing weeds and promoting a healthier overall ecology and habitat. Prescribed burning will replace mowing in these park spaces and should ultimately result in reduced overall emissions from the equipment used to mow the grass regularly. Contemporary prescribed burning is directly adapted from the cultural practice Native Americans performed seasonally as a part of their land management strategy."
