Frisco’s prescribed burns are conducted by the Frisco Fire Department in partnership with Play Frisco - Parks & Recreation Natural Resources. Prescribed burns are intentional fires set to eliminate undesirable growth and give a competitive edge to native plants. Historically, a pre-settlement wildfire would burn through North Texas every three to five years; a prescribed burn safely recreates the natural process that helped shape these areas. Prescribed burns are used to:
Increase biodiversity
Restore soil nutrients
Rejuvenate the health of desirable native plants and wildflowers
Reduce weeds and invasive plants
Lower maintenance costs
Reduce use of herbicides and pesticides
Learn more about the history of prescribed burns through this informational video.
Habitat Protection
One of the most important tasks for the Natural Resources team is to protect Frisco’s native habitat. New trail construction and projects in our natural areas are planned to take the least intrusive route to preserve as much of the natural area as possible. The installation of dog waste stations at our parks and trails help to prevent water and soil pollution from dog waste. We protect our Baldcypress trees near trails by wrapping them with chicken wire to prevent beaver damage which can cause trail hazards. At 1135 Natural Area there are several wood duck boxes to provide habitat for this species. We also utilize iNaturalist and trail cameras to capture wildlife to guide our understanding of local wildlife living in Frisco.
The city of Frisco is a Keep Texas Beautiful affiliate and we host numerous volunteer opportunities throughout the year to remove trash and invasive species from our natural areas and parks. The city also participates in the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) to promote initiatives regarding water conservation, dog waste, litter, air quality, and more.
Our Natural Resources team values the importance of a healthy, abundant urban forest in Frisco. The city has an Urban Forestry Board of volunteers who advise City Council on the protection of Frisco’s urban forest. Since 2019, the city of Frisco is in the process of collecting data to compile an official City Tree Inventory, which identifies tree species and size. A tree inventory allows our team to make educated decisions regarding tree planting, promotion of tree diversity, and to enhance the urban ecosystem. The inventory also helps us to prepare for diseases that threaten specific tree species, such as the Emerald Ash Borer.
In addition, the city works to preserve the urban forest by drawing attention to significant specimen trees and transplanting healthy trees at construction areas whenever possible. Lastly, we practice mitigation for safety to prevent any of our mature trees from posing a safety hazard and will trim or remove any trees that are potential safety risks.