The Academy for Ranch Management will host two prescribed burn workshops in 2009 at the Texas AgriLife Research Station at Sonora.

Prescribed burning is a tool that can be used to manage rangeland vegetation for livestock and wildlife use.

“Burning is nature’s way of maintaining a grass/shrub/tree complex without the use of chemicals or mechanical control methods,” said Ray Hinnant, one of the workshop instructors. “Burning also reduces the risk of catastrophic wildfires by removing hazardous fuel loads.”

The basic workshop is scheduled for Feb. 19-21 and the advanced workshop is scheduled for March 5-7.

The basic workshop will provide prescribed burning information on managing fuels and equipment for fire suppression and weather monitoring. Participants will develop a prescribed burn plan and will conduct a prescribed burn, Hinnant said.

“The basic workshop is a prerequisite to the advanced workshop,” he said. “The advanced workshop provides additional information on weather and fuels with more emphasis on planning and directing a prescribed burn as the burn boss.”

A comprehensive exam is administered for those interested in completing the educational requirement for a certified and insured prescribed burn manager, he said.

The fee for each workshop is $395 and includes meals and on-site lodging. For more information and to register, call 979-820-1778 or 325-387-3168 or visit http://www.ranchmanagement.org.