Without fires, these open areas would grow into woodlots or forests. Before humans settled in the Midwest and Northeast, fires burned naturally, but as prairies have been converted to agricultural and urban uses, people have regarded fire as damaging rather than recognizing its ecological value. Today, conservationists design careful management plans for these ecosystems which help them to keep trees and shrubs back. These management plans include controlled fires, mowing, and selective tree cutting. Fires also bring other benefits, such as helping to rejuvenate native plants.
Lupine germinates better with intermittent fires, for example.
There are many a variety of projects to help Karner blue butterflies and their habitat. State and federal managers are actively working to recover Karner blues on several public properties, such as the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin and two state game areas in Michigan. There are also several private conservation groups, county forests, and private landowners who are trying to conserve Karner blues on their lands across several states. The HCP, which provides conservation guidelines for activities in Karner blue habitat, involves 26 partners, including the DNR, county forests, and the Wisconsin Departments of Agriculture and Transportation, as well as forest and utility industries and a private conservation group. It covers some quarter-million acres of potential habitat in central and northwestern Wisconsin.