The HOP Property Management Committee has been working with Courtney Masterson from Native Lands LLC and Bill Fessler from Kansas City Parks & Rec to create a prescribed burn plan for the property. The group plans to burn the brush piles that have been organized at the HOP, but in the future would like to focus on woodland fires. The burns are important steps to restoring the property to a healthy landscape. Following a consistent burning schedule, the HOP will be re-seeded with native plants to encourage the natural biodiversity of the area.
Prescribed burn training is an important component to the Nature Action Crew jobs training program. The Nature Action Crew members receive their certified burn training certificates from the Missouri Department of Conservation. Preparations for the burn at the HOP begin at least two weeks prior to the burn date, and involve strategic planning such as paying close attention to the wind patterns and notifying the neighbors within the smoke path.