Land Management through Prescribed Fire

One of the most effective management tools for public or private land is prescribed fire. Proper utilization can facilitate native species growth and mitigate chances for catastrophic fire.  However, prescribed fire has obvious safety concerns and also things to consider with regard to getting the best results.  MDC is offering guidance.

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Missouri offers free prescribed burn workshops March 5 and 12 in western Missouri

Workshops at Blue Springs and El Dorado Springs will teach techniques to achieve goals

MDC will offer free prescribed burn workshops
 with skills field days in Blue Springs
 on March 5 and near El Dorado Springs
on March 12.
Photos by Bill Graham,

Missouri Department of Conservation

Kansas City, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will offer free prescribed burn workshops to assist private landowners with habitat management on March 5 in Blue Springs and March 12 near El Dorado Springs. These workshops, in conjunction with an online study course, will teach the equipment and strategies needed to use prescribed burns to improve wildlife habitat or manage cattle forage.

After registering for the workshop, participants will be required to complete an online study course as a prerequisite to attending the field day skills session. Completion of both will enable participants to obtain their Certified Burner Certification from MDC. The Certified Burner Certification is proof that you have successfully completed all the prescribed burn education requirements in Missouri.

Properly used, prescribed burns can be a valuable tool for enhancing native plant diversity and for reducing undesirable vegetation. This workshop will teach about the planning, equipment, weather factors, and techniques needed to execute a successful burn for grassland or woodland management.

The prescribed burn workshop in Blue Springs will be offered from 1 to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 5, at MDC’s Burr Oak Woods Nature Center and Conservation Area. Registration is required. To register, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/44A.

The prescribed burn skills field day near El Dorado Springs will be offered from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 12, at MDC’s Wah’Kon-Tah Prairie Conservation Area. Registration is required. To register, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/44d.

These burn workshops are open to participants ages 18 and older. COVID-19 precautions will be observed. If weather conditions permit, organizers will conduct a demonstration burn. Participants are asked to wear leather boots, cotton pants, cotton long-sleeved shirts or jackets, leather gloves, and safety glasses.

To learn more about prescribed fire as a tool for vegetation management, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/Zrf.

Missouri Outdoor Notes - July 26th, 2021

 

KC Canoe and Kayak classes on July 30th and 31st. Information and registration is HERE.

Virtual program on Shotguns thru Busch Shooting Range on August 3rd. Information and registration is HERE 

Live Shotgun Program as follow-up to August 3rd program thru Busch Shooting Range to be held on August 7th.  Info and registration is HERE

A few weeks ago, an MDC biologist rescued a peregrine falcon from the basement of a courthouse in Jackson.  Read the complete story here.

Stakeholders in the Cape Girardeau area have formed an organization called "Foothills Prescribed Burn Association." They look to improve habitat in the region by tapping into resources available to landowners, conservationists and others.  To read the full story or to get more information go HERE.

MDC hosting prescribed fire workshops in Moniteau, Montgomery, and Osage counties

Learn about methods and techniques for safely implementing controlled burns.

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Fire has been used as a land management tool by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) for more than 30 years, but it isn’t as simple as dropping a match and watching it burn. To assist landowners who want to use prescribed fire on their own property, the MDC is hosting workshops in three Mid-Missouri counties. Each program will cover all aspects of how prescribed fire can be safely used to

The careful use of prescribed fire can actually
 improve your land's health,
as well as protect life and property.

benefit wildlife and people.

The FREE workshops will be held in the following counties:

• Osage—Friday, Feb. 27, from 9 to 3 p.m., Linn Fire Protection District Station 1, 210 West Main St., Linn. Registration required by Feb. 23. A brown bag lunch will be provided for registered participants. Weather permitting, a small demonstration burn will be held to give participants hands-on experience. Participants are encouraged to bring leather work boots, gloves and clothing that covers arms and legs. For questions or to register, contact MDC Private Land Conservationist (PLC) Seth Barrioz at 573-897-3797, ext. 116.
• Moniteau—Monday, Mar. 9, from 6 to 9 p.m., California City Hall, 500 South Oak St., California. Registration required by Mar. 5. For questions or to register, contact MDC Private Land Conservationist (PLC) Eric Niemeyer at 573-796-0286.
• Montgomery—Saturday, Mar. 14, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Dale Deeker farm, near New Florence. Registration required by Mar. 12. Weather permitting, a small demonstration burn will be held to give participants hands-on experience. Participants are encouraged to bring leather work boots, gloves and clothing that covers arms and legs. For questions or to register, contact MDC Private Land Conservationist (PLC) Jamie Barton at 573-564-3715, ext. 110.

MDC staff will discuss the history of fire on the landscape, benefits from prescribed fire, proper methods and techniques for implementing controlled burns, equipment, and how to use resources from MDC and other agencies. Additionally, other topics that will be covered include creating a burn plan and timing the burn based on your management objectives and landscape, safety considerations, and proper weather conditions for conducting a burn.

To learn more about the benefits of prescribed burns, visit mdc.mo.gov.

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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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