MDC, MPFC, and partners invite landowners to Prescribed Burn Association Interest Meeting Sept. 17 in Winigan

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Want to use prescribed fire to manage property? Want to gain experience using prescribed fire? A Prescribed Burn Association (PBA) may be the answer. Through their neighbor-helping-neighbor function, PBAs can help provide equipment, experience, training, and people power for prescribed burns. 

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is partnering with the Missouri Prescribed Fire Council, Quail Forever, and Pheasants Forever to host a PBA Interest Meetings for landowners and others in north-central Missouri on Sept. 17 at 6 p.m. at the Winigan Community Building, 33332 Main St. in Winigan. Participants must register in advance at bit.ly/NorthCentralPBA.

Prescribed fire is an affordable and effective tool for accomplishing land-management goals. It can reduce fuel loads to lessen the intensity and chance of wildfire, help restore native plant communities, enhance wildlife habitat, improve livestock forage production, regenerate merchantable trees, and control invasive species. 

The responsible use of fire can benefit both people and land resources, especially when community members join forces through a PBA. A PBA is a group of landowners and other community members who come together to conduct prescribed burns more effectively and safely. The members pool their knowledge, experience, equipment, and peoplepower to help others in their association conduct prescribed burns.

For more information on the meeting, contact Josh Marshall at jmarshall@pheasantsforever.org or 660- 425-2770, Ashlea Neill at ashlea.neill@mdc.mo.gov or 660- 665-3274 ext. 3009, or Wesley Hanks at whanks@pheasantsforever.org or 573-301-9672. 

For more information about prescribed fire, visit moprescribedfire.org/pba-faqs.