Prescribed Burn School Scheduled Aug. 5-7 in Sonora
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS (June 3, 2010) — A prescribed burn school is scheduled Aug. 5-7 at the Texas AgriLife Research Station at Sonora.
The station is located 28 miles south of Sonora on U.S. Highway 55.
Recent changes by the Prescribed Burning Board and Texas Department of Agriculture have created a private and commercial prescribed burn manager certification, said Ray Hinnant, an AgriLife Research senior research associate and one of the lead instructors.
"The private certification will allow a ranch owner or manager to be certified using the ranch insurance," he said.
Certified prescribed burn managers are exempt under the county burn ban rules, Hinnant said.
“A private and commercial certified prescribed burn manager must have a burning board-approved course taught by a Prescribed Burning Board lead instructor,” he said.
Dr. Charles A. Taylor, Sonora research station superintendent, will be another course instructor. The course is the prerequisite to the Advanced Prescribed Burn Workshop, which will be held March 3-5 in 2011.
“The course will include information on history of prescribed fire, weather, fuels and fuel moisture, planning a prescribed burn, equipment, and fire and vegetation effects,” Hinnant said. “A prescribed burn will be conducted, weather permitting. The Sonora AgriLife Research Station has a long history of prescribed burning and the participants will tour the ranch to see the effects of winter burns, summer burns and no burns on the cedar, prickly pear and other brush species.”
The course provides the basics for the advanced class, “but can be attended by persons interested in prescribed burning even if they are not interested in becoming certified,” Hinnant said.
Workshop course fee is $395, including lodging and meals during the workshop. Contact Hinnant at 979-820-1778 or register online at http://www.ranchmanagement.org.
Editor’s Note: This article written by Blair Fannin was provided as a news release by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service and AgriLife Research for the AgNews Newsteam.