Kansas Prescribed Fire Council Hosts Essential Training for Local Landowners At Rolling Hills Zoo

Joshua Barnhart -

Salina, KS – Landowners in Saline, Ottawa, Ellsworth, Lincoln, McPherson, Dickinson, and Marion counties are invited to attend the Kansas Prescribed Fire Council's 'Prescribed Fire Workshop' hosted by the Smoky Hills Prescribed Burn Association. This workshop will take place at the Rolling Hills Zoo, featuring both classroom instruction and a hands-on pasture burning experience.

This one-day workshop is a rare and valuable opportunity for local landowners to acquire new skills in using prescribed fires as a rangeland management tool. Taught by Kansas experts, the workshop will cover safe procedures utilized by prescribed burn associations, which are cooperatives supported by landowners to provide the manpower, tools, and knowledge for conducting safe and effective prescribed burns.

Workshop Details:

Date: August 15, 2024
Location: Rolling Hills Zoo

Agenda:

  • 0800 - Registration
  • 0830 - Welcome, Logistics, Introductions
  • 0840 - Prescribed Fire Use & Goals: Growing Season Burns (Jess)
  • 0900 - Prescribed Fire Site Preparation (Eric)
  • 0920 - Fire Weather, Smoke Management (Luke)
  • 0940 - Break
  • 1000 - Writing a Burn Plan (Jess)
  • 1020 - Fire Behavior, Ignitions, Communication, Mop Up (Dennis)
  • 1050 - Permits, Prescribed Burn Associations (Kristin)
  • 1115 - Overview of Rx Site, Burn Plan for Site (Paul, Eric, Luke, Dennis, Kristin, Jess)
  • 1130 - Sandwich Bar Lunch
  • 1215 - Head to Rx Site
    • Briefing, break into teams & crews
    • Go over equipment
    • Ignitions, holding, complete burn
    • Return to classroom site for AAR
  • 1630 - Wrap-up, Comments, End of Day

Registration:
Landowners interested in attending should fill out the registration form and send it via email to gerrett@rollinghillszoo.org or mail it to Rolling Hills Zoo.

Call to Action:
Agency heads with email lists are strongly encouraged to spread the word to all landowners in the area. The workshop is filling up quickly, and the hope is for all interested landowners within the SHPBA area to have the opportunity to attend. Prescribed burning is a safer alternative to fighting wildfires, and this workshop will equip landowners with the knowledge and skills needed to conduct burns safely and effectively.