Landowners, land managers, county managers and local volunteer firefighters in Jim Wells County interested in learning about prescribed burning and the South Texas Prescribed Burn Association will have an opportunity on Tuesday, Feb. 2, at the Merchants Building at the Jim Wells County Fairgrounds, in Alice. The workshop will feature a wide array of speakers and topics that include prescribed burn planning from start to finish, laws covering prescribed burns, fire weather, smoke control, safety conditions, and the prescribed burn association. There will also be a demonstration Prescribed Burn at La Copita Ranch, if conditions allow.

Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and the presentations will begin at 9 a.m. Registration is $10 and will include lunch. Seating is limited so respond by Jan. 30 to Bruce Healy at (361) 668-8361, ext. 3 or Rogelio Mercado at (361) 668-5705.

The use of prescribed burning or prescribed fire has been recognized for many decades as a primary management necessity in long-term sustainability of native rangeland. Prescribed burning is the use of fire to control undesirable dead vegetation buildup and reduce wildfire hazards. Prescribed burning can also be used to prepare sites for herbicide application by removing dead plant litter blocking herbicide coverage on actively growing vegetation. Prescribed burning should be integrated with other practices such as herbicide management, grazing management, and planting riparian herbaceous cover.

Farmers and ranchers attending the workshop will be exempted from the current Jim Wells County Burn Ban – IF – they obtain, complete and follow a prescribed burn plan according to an approved NRCS or Texas AgriLife Extension Service prescribed burn plan. A list of the attendees will be provided to the Jim Wells County Commissioner’s Court.

This course will offer 3 (three) pesticide CEUs for your Restricted Use License, and 4 (four) CEUs for SRM Certified Professionals in Rangeland Management.

Workshop sponsors include Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Jim Wells County Soil and Water Conservation District, and the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service office in Alice.