Landowners worry about fire safety if county closes roads

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BY ALGIS J. LAUKAITIS / Lincoln Journal Star

Grass fires — not trash and vandalism — are the main concern for landowners who oppose closing parts of two dirt roads near Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center south of Denton.

“Fire scares me,” Dwayne Wittstruck told the Lancaster County Board during a public hearing Tuesday. “I don’t see that any good will come from this anyway.”

Wittstruck was among a handful of landowners opposed to closing part of Southwest 86th Street between West Saltillo and West Bennet roads, and part of West Saltillo Road between Southwest 84th and 86th.

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Both segments total slightly more than a mile.

Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center recently asked the county board to vacate the roads to protect its prairie preserve from vandals, trash-dumpers and roadside parties.

The two roads border the 640-acre tallgrass prairie three miles south of Denton.

County Engineer Don Thomas is against vacating the segments, mainly because they make up a section line road. He suggested other options — like the Adopt-a-Highway program — be explored to handle the litter problem.

“It’s kind of a checkered area for roads, so losing one would be important,” Thomas said.

Mike DeKalb with the Planning Department said vacating the segments would create a “2.5-mile barrier without any road crossings.”

But the closures do not appear to conflict with the Comprehensive Plan, he said, which shows natural green spaces in that part of the county. The department remained neutral.

Sheriff Terry Wagner said in the past six years, deputies have responded to an average of one to three calls for service each year — and none for littering. He was not in favor of closing the road segments because it would create access problems.

The county board took no action Tuesday but decided to continue the public hearing until Nov. 11. That gives farmers who are now busy with harvest time to appear and testify.

Marian Langan, the center’s director, told commissioners there’s more at stake than trash along those roads.

She said Spring Creek Prairie and adjacent lands protected by conservation easements make up a large complex that provides a “rich” habitat for birds and other animals. Some species — like the Eastern meadowlark — have experienced a 72 percent decline in population during her lifetime, she said.

“Over 98 percent of the prairie is gone … There are only little pieces left,” Langan said.

But commissioner Larry Hudkins said roads are needed to bring in water during  a grass fire.

“Every road is quite an asset,” Hudkins added.

Langan said she has taken part in prescribed burns at Spring Creek Prairie and there are trails and rough roads that could be used by firefighters.

Rod Hollman who owns hay ground in the area, said he worries an out-of-control grass fire could destroy property in a nearby housing development. And he noted there’s more native grass in the county now than 30 years ago — and more deer, pheasants and as many meadowlarks.

Landowner Mark Urbach said he’s also concerned about the potential for large grass fires and how emergency crews would respond if the road segments were closed.

“Trash is really not a problem out there. Everybody just picks it up,” Urbach said.

Reach Algis J. Laukaitis at 402-473-7243 or alaukaitis@journalstar.com.