Prescribed Burn Association Proposed

By Gordon HopkinsThis past summer saw a number of fires in southeastern Nebraska. Many of those were the result of prescribed burns that got out of hand. In response to that, some locals in Jefferson County have proposed to create a prescribed burn association (PBA).FJN spoke with Charlie Herrick, one of the people behind this effort. He explained the purpose of such an association, “It’s a group of landowners who work together to make burns happen.”Herrick said, “The landowners decide their bylaws, you know, all that kind of stuff. It is an association. It’s not just a listserve.”A PBA provides information and support to landowners.“Just about any landowner faces the question of who’s going to do this burn alongside me,” said Herrick. “There was a big rush of PBAs, as I understand, maybe 10 to 15 years ago. Some have continued and become even stronger and more autonomous and knowledgeable and others have faded away. And so we’re kind of returning to saying, hey, we need to have these groups.”Herrick is a biologist with Pheasants Forever and works closely with NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service). Herrick said, “This has really been spearheaded by Pheasants Forever and Game and Parks.”The PBA would also have equipment available for landowners needing to do a prescribed burn, kept on a trailer for transportation. Herrick said, “Its an enclosed trailer that can be towed around with a truck that members can use. A PBA can decide to have the trailer up for rent by non-members or they may say only members can use this. So a PBA typically charges fees, either for membership or for the burn. Pheasants Forever, we request that $50 for each time that trailer is used goes to Pheasants Forever.”A meeting will be held on Monday, February 13, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Rural Fire Department in Fairbury, 3020 Industrial Avenue. The meeting is open to the public and members of the public are encouraged to attend.

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