LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has announced it will burn brush piles, as weather and snow cover allow, at several sites across the state.

Brush piles are created by the removal of invading trees in grassland or timber stands or from trees damaged in storms. The commission says removal of brush piles will open grasslands and timber for continued management, eliminate fuel for wildfires and eliminate sites conducive to the germination of noxious and invasive plants.

The brush pile burns are scheduled for state recreational and wildlife management areas in 11 counties, including Antelope, Burt, Knox, Jefferson, Lancaster and Otoe counties. Other counties are Saline, Seward, Thayer, Pawnee and Washington.