MDC workshop shows prescribed fire as land, wildlife management tool

Landowners can learn to use prescribed
 fire as a land management tool at a
Prescribed Fire Workshop presented by the
Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC)
 Tuesday, Feb. 10, at the MDC’s
Southeast Regional Office in Cape Girardeau.
 (MDC file photo)

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Landowners can learn to use prescribed fire as a land management tool at a Prescribed Fire Workshop presented by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) Tuesday, Feb. 10, at the MDC’s Southeast Regional Office in Cape Girardeau. This workshop is offered two different times to provide landowners a better opportunity to attend. The first is from 1 to 4:30 p.m. and the second is from 6 to 9:30 p.m.

Prescribed fire is an ancient technique used to manage grasslands, Conservation Reserve Program and old fields for forage production and improvement of wildlife habitat. Used first by Native Americans, the technique is now taught by the MDC across the state.

“Prescribed fire is a low-cost method for landowners to use,” said Brad Pobst, an MDC Private Lands Conservationist.

Pobst said the workshop will include classroom discussions on methods, equipment, safety, and why and when to use fire as a management tool. Emphasis will include how to conduct a safe and effective burn to control sprouts, encourage beneficial plants and create better quality quail habitat. Pobst said participation in this workshop will qualify landowners to have a prescribed burn plan prepared for their fields and use available loan equipment.

Workshop attendees are also invited to optional demonstration burns held later in the spring to demonstrate the use of tools and techniques.

To register for one of these workshops, contact the MDC’s Southeast Regional Office at (573)290-5730. For more information about prescribed fire, go online to mdc.mo.gov.

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