Prescribed Burn Workshop Will Be In Neligh

​Pheasants Forever and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) will be hosting a basic prescribed fire training at the UNL Extension Office in Neligh, Nebraska on Wednesday, January 18.

​Workshop speakers will discuss how fire can be used to benefit the land manager’s objectives and give a step-by-step breakdown of how to safely plan a prescribed fire.

The workshop will run from 9:00am to 4:00pm. A $10 registration fee covers all training and training materials, refreshments, and a noon meal. Attendees are asked to please pre-register to reserve a meal. 

According to Pheasants Forever Biologist Ryan Lodge, the reasons for learning to use fire are adding up.

“Many Nebraska landowners feel they are losing the fight against invasive eastern red cedar. Fire is a cost effective and economical way to control cedar trees while also maintaining the health of your pasture,” said Lodge. “Wildlife that favor open grasslands, like pheasants, bobwhite quail and grouse are also enhanced when trees are controlled.”
 
Prescribed fire is also worth learning about for those who have land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program. When properly designed, fire can boost the quality of CRP cover both for forage and wildlife. Whether the contract has a management activity scheduled for 2017 or has been recently renewed and an upgrade to the current cover is required, fire can be a very useful tool in the overall management plan.
 
Pheasants Forever works closely with NGPC, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Nebraska Environmental Trust and other conservation partners to help Nebraskans plan prescribed fires.

“We stress safety, effectiveness and planning,” said Lodge. “It’s definitely a crash course, but it’s packed full of good advice. We work to get speakers there who have really spent some time on fire, and we give people the contacts they need to follow through if they decide that fire is a good option for their land.”
 
Please contact Ryan Lodge at 308-750-1215 to register or ask questions, or visit www.NebraskaPF.com.