Prescribed burns planned for Manatee County. Here’s what you need to know 

Now through December, Southwest Florida Water Management District will be conducting prescribed burns in East Manatee, the agency announced Monday.

The burns will take place in the Myakka River/Parrish area on two tracts of the Edward W. Chance Reserve, which is managed by SFWMD.

Prescribed fire is used to control overgrowth, decrease wildfire risk and maintain the health of natural habitats, where some plants and animals rely on fire to promote new growth and provide food, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

About 200 acres are planned to be burned in small increments on the Gilley Creek Tract. The tract is located between State Road 62 and State Road 64 east of County Road 675, and it protects Gilley Creek, one of the main tributaries of the Manatee River, according to SFWMD. The Gilley Creek Tract is home to Florida palmetto prairie, pine flatwoods and scrubby flatwoods communities.

Another 75 acres are scheduled to be burned on the Coker Prarie Tract, which is south of State Road 64. The Coker Prarie Tract is home to several natural habitats, according to SFWMD, including a freshwater marsh that feeds the Myakka River.

SFWMD manages prescribed burns on about 30,000 acres of land every year, according to the agency.