Prescribed Fire Workshops for Private Landowners
Currently, there is not enough prescribed burning occurring to meet the need of the land in the Southeast. Putting more fire on the ground will be necessary to restore and enhance fire-maintained habitats, such as longleaf pine, in the future. With a majority of the forested land in the Southeast being privately owned, it is critical for private landowners to incorporate prescribed fire into their land management plans.
To help landowners learn more about the basics of prescribed burning, several groups have begun to partner to host landowner field days throughout the Southeast region. Most field days can be considered as “Prescribed Fire 101” – attendees learn the basics of why and how to burn, and may even get to see or participate in a live burn. Afterwards, if interested in learning more or conducting their own burns, landowners can then take the next step to become a Certified burner. Or, they may learn that burning would be beneficial to their land, but realize that they’d like to contact a private consultant rather than attempt to burn it themselves. Either way, at the very least, these field days have proven to better inform landowners about the benefits of fire.
The time-lapse video below was taken during a landowner workshop on The Nature Conservancy property near Wakefield, Virginia on April 1, 2015. Experts taught landowners how to properly and safely conduct a prescribed burn. The landowners practiced using a drip torch, raking a fire line, mopping up, and much more.
Last year, the SERPPAS Prescribed Fire Work Group helped to support and implement three field days in MS, AL, and NC. Three more of these types of field days have been scheduled in May 2015 in AL and TX.
In Alabama, the Alabama Wildlife Federation has developed “Using Fire for Wildlife Management in Longleaf Pine Habitat,” a wildlife seminar series event. Below is a description of each event.
May 1, 2015 | Solon Dixon Center, Andalusia, AL
TOPICS:
8:30–9:00 Registration
9:00–9:15 Welcome/Introduction and overview
9:15–10:00 History of Fire and Longleaf
10:00–10:45 Benefits of Fire to Wildlife
10:45–11:30 Intelligent Application of Fire in Longleaf
11:30–12:00 Financial Assistance Programs for Longleaf & Fire
12:00–1:00 Lunch
1:00–3:00 Field Visit at Dixon Center
May 15, 2015 | Autauga County Agricultural Center, Autaugaville, AL
TOPICS:
8:30–9:00 Registration
9:00–9:15 Welcome/Introduction and overview
9:15–10:00 History of Fire and Longleaf
10:00–10:45 Benefits of Fire to Wildlife
10:45–11:30 Intelligent Application of Fire in Longleaf
11:30–12:00 Financial Assistance Programs for Longleaf & Fire
12:00–12:40 Lunch
12:40–1:00 Travel to Roberta Case Pine Hills Preserve
1:00–3:00 Field Visit at Roberta Case
Click HERE to register for either or both of these FREE events.
Multiple partners in Texas have come together to develop a field day on May 21, 2015 entitled, “Prescribed Burning on Private Lands: A workshop for Southeast Texas Woodland Owners.”
May 21, 2015 | Big Thicket Fire Management Office, Woodville, TX TOPICS: Benefits of Prescribed Burning and a Managed Forest Texas Laws Related to Prescribed Fire & Smoke – Landowner Liability “Why and How I Burn My Land, Why I Chose Longleaf Pine” Wildlife Benefits from Prescribed Burning Wildfire Prevention from Prescribed Burning Assistance Programs for Landowners NPS Longleaf Restoration – Using Prescribed Fire, Herbicides and Mechanical Contro Field Tour of Big Thicket (Hickory Creek Unit)
This workshop will also give landowners the opportunity to talk with organizations and vendors that support fire management on private lands.
Click HERE to learn more about this FREE event and to register.
If you’re interested in learning more about these field days or developing one in your area, please contact jlevans3@ncsu.edu for more information.
By: Jennifer Evans, NCSU Extension Associate