The Pennsylvania Prescribed Fire Council is sponsoring the first annual PA Prescribed Fire Conference on February 19-20 in State College.

Across the country, prescribed fire is being used for forest regeneration, fuel reduction, and ecological restoration. Public concerns, dated legislation, and the need for communication between federal, state, and private members of the fire community have brought attention to the need for a Pennsylvania Prescribed Fire Council, a group of interested and invested people to promote prescribed fire use.

Ultimately, the resurging interest in and use of fire as a management tool will depend on understanding and addressing real and perceived social constraints. This will require the combined effort of the Pennsylvania fire community – those who have the training, education, and desire to become active partners for the future of our forests –working with a broad set of stakeholders.

The Conference will focus on fire use and ecology in Pennsylvania, the oak regeneration challenge, current rules and regulations that must be addressed when using fire in the Commonwealth, and the Pennsylvania Prescribed Fire Council.

Registration is now open. The conference will be held at the Penn Stater Conference Center in State College, Pa. CEUs will be available to foresters attending the conference.

For more information, download the conference brochure, or if you have any questions, please contact Tara Claghorn, ttc126@psu.edu ..

Links: The Nature Conservancy Presentation on Prescribed Fire in PA

Prescribed Fire – Tools and Tactics Section, The Nature Conservancy Newsletter

11/9/2007