14 Prescribed Burning Workshops to Be Held in Western Kansas
Take action by Friday, December 5, 2008
Fire safety is a priority topic of the 14
upcoming Prescribed Burning Workshops scheduled
to be held in the western one-third of Kansas
this fall.
Carol Blocksome, Grassland Water
Quality Extension staff at Kansas State
University (KSU), Manhattan, said that the idea
for the workshops came about after she attended
a meeting where CRP burning in western Kansas
was discussed. It was evident from the
discussion that producers needed and wanted
more information and education on how to
conduct a safe and successful prescribed burn.
“Safe burning requires proper planning,
education, and training,” she said.
Producers may want to burn native and
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grassland to
improve vegetative quality, control weeds, or
fulfill CRP contractual obligations.
“I would encourage any producer who is
thinking of burning grassland in western Kansas
to attend one of these workshops,” Blocksome
said.
Prescribed burning workshops are being held at
14 locations in the western third of Kansas.
The content of all the workshops is very
similar, so producers can attend the most
convenient location.
There is a $10 registration charge to
attend the workshops, which covers the cost of
handouts and a notebook. Lunch will be served.
RSVP deadline is a week prior to the workshop
date. For more information, please contact
your local conservation district or KSU
Extension office.
Agenda topics are: CRP Maintenance and
Management Practices; Burn Considerations: Why
and When to Burn; Burn Notification and Local
Regulations; Producer Panel; Using a Burn
Contractor; Burn Terminology and Fire
Behavior: Smoke Management, Eddy Currents,
Fire Guards, Burning Techniques; Planning and
Conducting a Burn; and Burn Equipment.
Presenters include representatives
from Natural Resources Conservation Service,
Farm Service Agency, Kansas Department of
Wildlife and Parks, Kansas Forest Service, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, Kansas State
University, as well as local fire and emergency
management staff and local producers with burn
experience. Presenters vary by workshop, but
all will be presenting essentially the same
information.
Workshops are sponsored by local conservation
districts, Watershed Restoration and Protection
Strategy (WRAPS), Kansas Department of Health
and Environment, Environmental Protection
Agency, Kansas Water Plan funds, and local
businesses.
Workshop dates, locations, and phone numbers
(phone numbers: conservation district or
extension service) are as follows:
October 27-Bazine 785-798-3614 or
785-798-3921
October 28-Colby 785-462-7671 or
785-460-4582
October 31-Russell 785-483-5618 or
785-483-3157
November 3-Hill City 785-421-2115 or
785-421-3411
November 4-Scott City 620-872-3230 or
620-872-2930
November 5-Sharon Springs 785-852-4213 or
785-852-4285
November 6-Bird City 785-332-2183 or
785-332-3171
November 12-Stockton 785-425-6302 or
785-425-6851
November 17-Norton 785-877-5156 or
785-877-5755
November 18-Tribune 620-376-4332 or
620-376-4284
November 19-Garden City 620-275-0211 or
620-272-3670
November 20-Oakley 785-672-4861 or
785-671-3245
December 1-Elkhart 620-544-2261 or
620-697-2558
December 3-Dodge City 620-227-3731 or
620-227-4542
This information is also available on the
NRCS Web site at: www.ks.nrcs.usda.gov