The Southern Area Burn Boss Refresher RT-300 has been rescheduled to July 19-22, 2021 at the Chattanooga, Convention Center in Chattanooga, TN. See this recent update (Feb. 5, 2021) from the event organizer George Custer. More information and event registration.
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Louisiana Prescribed Burning Workshop
Prescribed Burning Workshop: Wednesday (8 AM – 4:30 PM), Thursday (8 AM – 4:30 PM), Friday (8 AM – 12 Noon), May 5-7, Louisiana Ecological Forestry Center (formerly Hodges Garden), Florien, LA 71429.
The LA Ecological Forestry Center, the SW LA Forestry Association, the LSU AgCenter, and the LA Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) will be having a workshop to enable forest landowners to burn their lands safely and legally. Topics will include fuels, burning techniques, proper tools, optimal weather conditions, smoke management, liability management, planning, fire behavior and more.
This training will begin the process of becoming LA Certified Burn Manager. The completion of five prescribed fires and their documentation will complete the process. The cost is $100. Class size is limited to the first 20 applicants. Please make check payable to SW LA Forestry Association, and send to LSU AgCenter, PO Box 609, DeRidder, LA 70634. For questions, please call 337-463-7006 or email khawkins@agcenter.lsu.edu
Fire In the Great Plains Series: Why Burn?
This video is the first in a series from our friends at the Great Plains Fire Science Exchange describing fire in the Great Plains. The series features ranchers in the region and local experts discussing prescribed fire. This video focuses on the need for burning grasslands in the region.
Continue ReadingJob: Conservation Biologist, Tall Timbers Research Station
The Land Conservancy, a division within Tall Timbers, was established in 1990. Its ongoing goal is to ensure the conservation of natural and cultural resources, along with rural land use traditions, in the Red Hills region and in other strategic areas that promote Tall Timbers’ mission. To date, Tall Timbers has conserved over 145,000 acres with 121 landowners using donated conservation easements, making it one of the largest regional land trusts in the Southeast.
Position Responsibilities:
- Manage new conservation easement projects, including development of baseline documentation reports, conservation management plans, and legal conservation easements.
- Support project development of State and Federally funded land conservation programs, such as Florida Forever and Forest Legacy.
- Provide analysis and expertise for other types of land conservation project needs.
- Maintain GIS data, perform GIS analyses, create maps, and provide guidance on data collection applications as needed by the Land Conservancy and Tall Timbers.
- Assist with annual monitoring and stewardship of conservation easements and other conservation properties following Tall Timbers’ policies and procedures.
- Provide extension services and technical assistance for conservation easement landowners and land managers. Work with Tall Timbers staff to provide extension services to the greater Tall Timbers membership.
- Work closely with the Records Manager to ensure all stewardship and land conservation records are collected and properly stored following recordkeeping policies and procedures.
- Pursue grants and other funding sources to support conservation and exemplary land stewardship on conservation easement properties.
- Contribute to Tall Timbers community outreach, including its website and other public relations and educational materials.
- Assist in the day-to-day management of the Land Conservancy, including performing necessary administrative tasks and public information requests.
- Assist in the overall work of the Land Conservancy and Tall Timbers as appropriate and as requested by the Conservation Coordinator and Director.
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Job: Prescribed Fire Strike Team Crew Member, Tennessee Division of Forestry
The Prescribed Fire Strike Team carries out on-the-ground forestry vendor services
statewide, based on demand, resources, and weather. Under direct supervision of a Crew
Boss, the crew member‘s primary function is prescribed fire and fuels planning that is
implementation of moderate complexity. Other responsibilities may include forest
management activities of average difficulty, hazard mitigation, fire suppression, and related
work as directed. The Prescribed Fire Strike Team Crew Member will primarily work
throughout the Cumberland Plateau and East TN Districts, and in other areas of the state
as needed. This position will spend time on travel status, away from home base, the Westel
Work Center in Rockwood, TN. Lodging and per diem reimbursement will be provided while
on overnight travel assignment.
The Prescribed Fire Strike Team resides within the Forest Health and Sustainability Unit.
This unit has five major program areas; forest management, forest health, forest
stewardship, water quality, and urban forestry. This strike team is overseen by a
coordinator who reports to the unit leader.
SFE Webinar Recording Available: COVID-19 Impacts on Southeast Prescribed Fire and Strategies for Keeping Fire on the Ground
The recording of the Southern Fire Exchange webinar from Thursday, February 11th “COVID-19 Impacts on Southeast Prescribed Fire and Strategies for Keeping Fire on the Ground” is now live on the SFE YouTube webinar archive. This webinar featured a research presentation on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Southeastern prescribed fire as well as a fire manager panel discussion that covered strategies for managing prescribed fire programs in 2020 and 2021. Webinar presenters included: Benjamin Poulter, Ph.D., NASA Earth Sciences Division and Morgan Varner, Ph.D., Tall Timbers Research Station. The webinar fire manager panelists included: Greg Titus, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Brett Williams, US Air Force Wildland Fire Branch, and Sasha Ernst, Florida Park Service
Click here to view the archived webinar
Click here to download the webinar slides
Learn and Burn Field Day
Day long live fire event to increase practitioner confidence/exposure to prescribed fire operations
WHEN: ONE DAY OF BURNING* 8:00 am- 3:00 pm *Depending on weather conditions.
WHO: Limited number of participants will be selected and notified by email.
Continue ReadingSFE Webinar: COVID-19 Impacts on Southeast Prescribed Fire & Strategies for Keeping Fire on the Ground
Hosts: NASA, Tall Timbers Research Station, Southern Fire Exchange, Joint Fire Science Program, and the University of Florida
Presenters: Benjamin Poulter, Ph.D., NASA Earth Sciences Division
Morgan Varner, Ph.D., Tall Timbers Research Station
Greg Titus, US Fish and Wildlife Service
Brett Williams, US Air Force Wildland Fire Branch
Sasha Ernst, Florida Park Service
Webinar Description: The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has altered the use of prescribed fire on hundreds of thousands of acres of public and private lands across the Southeastern United States. In this special two-part webinar, scientists and fire management program leaders will discuss both the measurable impacts of the pandemic on prescribed fire use, as well as successful strategies for managing fire during the time of COVID-19. In the first presentation, NASA research scientist Ben Poulter, Ph.D., will discuss the results of a project with Tall Timbers Research Station that identified changes in the pattern and frequency of fire across the region in 2020. In the second half of the webinar, a panel of prescribed fire managers from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Eglin Air Force Base, and the Florida Park Service, will discuss their experiences, lessons, and strategies for managing prescribed fire programs in 2020 and 2021. Following the research presentation and panel discussion, there will be time for audience Q/A.
Registration is required. Register here.
Continue ReadingNew Book: The Fire Manager’s Guide to Blue Ridge Ecozones
In “The Fire Manager’s Guide to Blue Ridge Ecozones” a new book from the Southern Blue Ridge Fire Learning Network, TNC fire manager Adam Warwick explores a wide range of fire maintained ecosystems across the Blue Ridge. The beautiful 165 page guide includes full color photographs and illustrations. You can download the full .pdf file here. A print version of the book is expected soon.
Mission Unstoppable – How Does Fire Spead?
In this January 2021 CBS Mission Unstoppable episode, University of Florida fire ecology professor and Southern Fire Exchange program Principle Investigator Dr. Rae Crandall uses match stick forests, metal trees, and a recent prescribed fire to explain basic principles of fire behavior and effects. This short five minute video would be a great introduction to fire in the Southeast.
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