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February 1, 2002

Tech tips:
Prescribed burning certification available

The Texas Prescribed Burning Board, established in 1999 within the Texas Department of Agriculture, is now accepting applications from individuals who want to be certified as prescribed burn managers or prescribed burn instructors.

"With the past drought conditions in our state and potential fire hazards posed by dry brush, everyone realizes the importance of conducting burns in a controlled manner," Texas Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs said in announcing the program. "Prescribed burns are an important tool for Texas landowners who want to enhance ecosystems, recharge springs and aquifers and prevent brush build-up."

During the past two years, the Prescribed Burning Board has established minimum educational and professional requirements for prescribed burn instructors and created safety standards for individuals wishing to be certified to conduct prescribed burning activities. To assist in this task, the board enlisted an advisory committee including property owners, agriculture and livestock producers, conservation and environmental interests and insurance industry representatives.

"When done by trained personnel, prescribed burning is an excellent tool for ridding the landscape of noxious vegetation that can cause dangerous wildfire and use valuable water," said Texas Prescribed Burning Board Chair Lynn Drawe. "Now, we can have an educational framework and a certification process for people to engage in prescribed burning."

According to Combs, the board has formulated standards for conducting safe and successful prescribed burns by addressing educational needs, personnel issues, public notification requirements and insurance needs.

"With educational and professional standards now in place to certify burn managers, landowners can feel more confident about using prescribed burns to reduce natural wildfire fuel and enhance their property's value," said Rep. Jim McReynolds of San Augustine, sponsor of the legislation that created the Prescribed Burning Board.

The board includes representatives from the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station; the Texas Cooperative Extension; Texas Department of Agriculture; Texas Forest Service; Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission; Texas Parks and Wildlife Department; Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board; and Texas Tech University Range and Wildlife Department.

For more information about the Prescribed Burning Board, or to learn about becoming a certified prescribed burn manager or instructor, contact the Texas Department of Agriculture at 512/463-9883.