Page 15 - e-news 2020

The first step to preparing for a prescribed burn is to have a detailed burn plan. This burn plan
will serve as your guide for an effective and safe prescribed fire. It should include information about the

property being burned such as legal descriptions and directions from the nearest highway or county
road intersection, as well as any potential safety concerns negatively impacted by a fire such as fences,

utility poles, and dwellings. The burn plan should include a map highlighting all these features, as well as
the property boundary, firebreaks, and any smoke sensitive areas. The plan should include the desired
timing and weather conditions for the burn, including a range for the temperature, wind speed, relative

humidity, and smoke dispersion index. Both timing and weather can have major impacts on fire intensity
and how the fire will meet the intended goal, and it is important to monitor those weather conditions

throughout the burning process. The plan should also state the manpower and equipment needed to
carry out the burn and should also include the contact information to the various first-responders
should something not go as planned. Everyone involved in conducting the burn should have a copy of the

burn plan as well as, nowadays, each other’s cell phone contact if 2-way radios are not involved. The
actual details of a good burn plan are too lengthy to go into here. A professional burn plan can be

prepared by the state’s forestry or wildlife agency or through your local NRCS office.

But before you burn, you’ll want to consider your long-term objectives for the property. That
requires assessing your current habitat conditions, deciding about what needs to be improved (do I need

more cover, more hard mast, more native grasses and forbs?) and deciding if fire is your best option to
get the desired results. Managing timber to improve the understory could mean removing trees
(selective cutting) and thinning the canopy, therefore, fire probably would not fit that scenario.

However, improving native grass stands to promote more plant diversity, better bedding cover, and to
keep invasive woody species in check, fire would be a great, cheap option. It’s not right for everyone, but

if you’re managing your hunting land with a primary focus on wildlife and you’re in an area where it’s
safe to burn, then prescribed fire may be the perfect tool for improving your wildlife habitat and deer
hunting.

Contact the office if you’re thinking about a prescribed burn. The Conservation District has
contact info for burn contractors and even has some burn equipment to lend or rent for conducting a

burn and the NRCS staff could possibly assist with preparing a prescribed burn plan.

Chris Hoskinson NRCS Tech