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DRIPTORCH DIGEST
A Newsletter for the Southern Prescribed Fire Community
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Welcome to the Driptorch Digest,
an online newsletter for the Southern prescribed fire community.
Please feel free to forward this newsletter to others who might be interested, and encourage them to sign up for their own subscription by clicking on the "subscribe" link at the bottom of this newsletter, or by visiting the Southeast Prescribed Fire Update blog to receive this newsletter as well as other occasional fire-related blog posts.
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Prescribed Fire Council Updates
Alabama: On June 21, 2018 t
he ALPFC partnered with several others to host a growing season "Learn & Burn" event for those interested in learning how to conduct a prescribed burn. More than 50 attendees learned about the techniques, equipment, science and art of using prescribed fire during the hot and humid summer months. Crews led by seasoned mentors safely applied fire in 8 burn units to 832 acres, providing valuable wildlife habitat and managing understory fuels on some beautiful tracts at Sehoy Plantation. Photos from the event can be found here.
Louisiana:
The LAPFC will be partnering with others to host a "Learn & Burn" event for those interested in learning how to conduct a prescribed burn next Spring. More details coming soon!
North Carolina:
In conjunction with the NCPFC meeting, a Firescaping workshop will be held on August 1 (more information on this can be found in the Extension Connection section below).
Virginia:
The VAPFC partnered with several others to put on a Learn & Burn workshop for landowners on May 10, 2018. This excellent
new video produced by VDGIF highlights the purpose of the event, and what the participants gained by attending.
Other Updates:
Many PFCs have scheduled their annual meetings, and are posted in the upcoming events section below. Check
on your state's PFC website
to find an event near you.
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Southeast Cohesive Fire Management Strategy Success Stories
Veteran Fire Corps Provides Job Skills to Veterans in Forest and Wildland Fire Management
Written By: Holly Campbell, Southern Regional Extension Forestry, Brenna Kelly, Southeast Conservation Corps, and Mark Jamieson, USDA Forest Service
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The Veteran Fire Corps hiking to work in
the De Soto National Forest. Credit: Southeast
Conservation Corps
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Over a twelve-week period during January and February 2018, eight veterans took part in a new program aiming to provide job skills, the Veteran Fire Corps. The three-month program trains veterans in prescribed burning, fighting wildfires, and forest management. While in the program, Corps members received a weekly stipend to cover basic expenses and, upon completion, gained experience and certifications necessary to obtain jobs in the forest industry or fire management.
Read more here.
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Extension Connection
Resources and stories, from and/or for
Cooperative Extension Service Faculty and Staff
Learn & Burn Events
Are you interested in putting on a Learn & Burn field day for landowners to gain experience in burning, but not sure where to start?
A
new site has been created to help you with this process! In addition
, a webinar on this subject will be offered on October 10, 2018 at 1pm in conjunction with the Southern Fire Exchange.
Tell us what you would like to know
about staging such an event, and we will attempt to incorporate it into the webinar.
North
Carolina
Firescaping Workshop
Prior to the North Carolina Prescribed Fire Council meeting on August 1, 2018 from 1:00-5:00 PM at the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro, NC, there will be a hands-on workshop intended to teach community members, Master Gardeners and natural resource and Extension professionals about fire-resistant landscaping, or firescaping.
Registration is required and costs $10. A flier with additional information on topics to be covered and partners can be found
here.
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New Study on Reptiles and Amphibians During Early Growing Season Fires
A recent USDA Forest Service study conducted in North Carolina's Bent Creek Experimental Forest within the Pisgah National Forest found that reptile and amphibian species were not negatively impacted by growing season burns conducted in April and March.
The study,
published in Forest Ecology and Management, is part of growing body of research that examines how fire impacts wildlife, particularly smaller non-game species. As land managers increasingly consider expanding burn windows given the limitations of weather and other factors during the dormant season, it becomes ever more important to understand how growing season fires impact a variety of species.
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Joint Fire Science Program
NASF supports JFSP
New Fire Science Research Publications
Check out the latest fire science from JFS Exchange member California Science Consortium:
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FIRE ADAPTED COMMUNITIES
LEARNING NETWORK
Fantastic Failures: The Importance of Mistakes
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Please Log your Burns
Help improve regional data on the use of prescribed fire.
Encourage burners from any state
to
report their prescribed burn to the OPBA website
.
No personal information is required and you will not be contacted or added to any list
. If you have questions about this effort, please contact John Weir, Research Associate at Oklahoma State University. This information is used to gather data on prescribed burns from around the country to support the use of prescribed fire. In the past this data helped to support law and policy changes, assist some burn associations with receiving grants and to help show others how safe and effective prescribed burning is.
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Funding News & Opportunities
Information on funding opportunities is available at the
grants.gov site.
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Webinars and Videos
Upcoming Webinars
Archived Webinars
- Videos for Landowners is an archive of short videos telling the stories of Texas landowners who are managing longleaf pine including the use of prescribed burning for vegetation control, native grass protection, and crop tree release. These videos are made possible by Texas Longleaf Taskforce through America's Longleaf Restoration Initiative.
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Upcoming Events, Training, and Networking
Prescribed Fire Council Meetings
August 2-3, 2018
- The
North Carolina Prescribed Fire Council
will hold their annual meeting in Asheboro, NC. More information on the meeting is available
on their website
September 24-
25, 2018 -
Kentucky Prescribed Fire Council
Joint Annual Meeting with the Consortium of Appalachian Fire Managers and Scientists - Bats and Fire Workshop. The meeting and workshop will be held at the Cave City Convention Center (502 Mammoth Cave St.) in Cave City, KY. Further registration details and agenda coming soon on their website: www.kyfire.org.
September 26-27
, 2018 -
The South Carolina Prescribed Fire Council
Meeting will be held in Georgetown, SC. Further registration details and agenda coming soon on their meeting website.
September 27, 2018
- The Georgia Prescribed Fire Council will hold their Annual Meeting in Tifton, GA. More details will be available soon
on their website
.
October 26, 2018, 8 AM-1 PM -
Louisiana Prescribed Fire Council
Annual Meeting at
DeWitt Livestock Facility, 100 Greg Marshall Drive, Alexandria, LA (Dean Lee Research Station/LSUA). There is no cost, but registration is requested to ensure a proper number of seating. For more information, contact Keith Hawkins.
Prescribed Burn Certification Courses
Alabama:
Alabama Forestry Commission's Certified Prescribed Burn Manager Program
offers courses for certification and workshops for re-certification. To register, contact Marti Davis at 34-240-9332. Seating is limited.
- July 30, 2018 - Auburn University, AL - Re-certification Workshop, $100 fee
- July 31 - August 3, 2018 - Auburn University, AL - Certification Course, $150 fee
- August 20 - 23, 218 - Stockton, AL - Certification Course, $150 fee
- September 17, 2018 - Tuscaloosa, AL - Re-certification Workshop, $100 fee
- September 18 - 21, 2018 - Tuscaloosa, AL - Certification Course, $150 fee
Kentucky: In conjunction with the annual meeting and workshop, the KPFC will also be hosting their first Certified Burn Boss Workshop on September 26-28. Completion of this course and post course experience are the final steps to becoming a Burn Boss in Kentucky. Registration information and pre- requisite information for the course can be found on the home page of the KPFC website. Please contact Training Committee Chair
Ben Robinson
with questions.
Mississippi: Mississippi Forestry Commission's Prescribed Burning Short Course is held twice annually and is designed for anyone wishing to become a Certified Prescribed Burn Manager in Mississippi. Details and registration/payment information are available at
mfc.ms.gov/prescribed-burning-short-course
- June 19-21, 2018 - Southern Regional Fire Training Center, Pearl, MS
- September 18-20, 2018 - Hilton Garden Inn, Starkville, MS
Fire Festivals
October 13, 2018
- Fire in the Pines Festival at Halyburton Park, Wilmington, NC.
See full details here!
July 17-19, 2018 -
Longleaf Academy: Fire & Longleaf 201, UGA Conference Center, Windsor, SC. Full details and registration here.
August 1, 2018
-
Firescaping Workshop, 1:00-5:00 PM in Asheboro, NC prior to the North Carolina Prescribed Fire Council meeting. The hands-on workshop is intended to teach community members, Master Gardeners and natural resource and Extension professionals about fire-resistant landscaping, or firescaping.
Registration is required
and costs $10. A flier with additional information on topics to be covered and partners can be found
here
.
August 14-16, 2018 - Longleaf Academy: Herbicides & Longleaf 201, Solon Dixon Forestry Education center, Andalusia, AL. Full details and registration available here.
August 14-17, 2018 -
S-130/190 Basic Wildland Firefighter Training, Gainesvlle, FL. This course is a hybrid format and requires both an online and in-person component. Registration is $95 for current college students with a valid ID and $125 for all others. Registration does not include lodging and is required by July 20th.
September 25-27, 2018 - Longleaf Academy: Understory Diversity 201, Little Ocmulgee State Park, McRae, GA. Full details and registration when available
here.
Oct. 15 - Nov. 2, 2018 - Spanish-language Prescribed Fire Training Exchange / Santa Fe NF, NM. El octavo entrenamiento e intercambio en quemas prescritas en español. La fecha límite para la recepción de solicitudes es el Lunes 2 de Abril. Información: anuncio y formulario para postulantes
Oct. 29 - Nov. 9, 2018 - Southern Blue Ridge Prescribed Fire Training Exchange / Pickens, SC. The first TREX with planned aerial ignitions to be held in the Appalachians. The base camp will be adjacent to Table Rock State Park, site of a large fall 2016 wildfire; TREX burning is planned for Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Applications
are now being accepted and must be completed by July 13th. Selections will be announced July 27th.
December 4-6, 2018 - Longleaf Academy: Longleaf 101, Georgetown, SC. More details can be found
here.
Ongoing - Firefighter II Certification.
This intermediate firefighter training program (equivalent to NWCG S-131, S-133, and S-231 courses, as well as the G-131 course) is designed to prepare the Firefighter 2 (FFT2) to move to the Firefighter 1 (FFT1) position. This course trains these firefighters to coordinate with other resources and be good leaders - make sound tactical decisions while keeping safety their first priority.
Visit the Southern Fire Exchange Education and Training page for more opportunities.
Conferences, Workshops & Other Events
October 1-3, 2018
- Great Plains Prescribed Fire Summit, Ardmore, OK. The second biennial summit will cover topics from prescribed fire basics to the latest fire science and will include a field tour. All practitioner levels are encouraged to attend. More information will available soon, for questions contact Brian Hays at
[email protected]
or Russell Stevens at
[email protected]
.
Oct. 23-26, 2018 - The Longleaf Alliance, Alexandria, LA.
The 22nd biennial Longleaf Alliance regional conference is scheduled to take place at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Alexandria, LA., October 24 through 26, 2018. Visit this link for more details.
Visit the Southern Fire Exchange for more listings of conferences, webinars, workshops and field tours
here
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Web-based Resources and Tools
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Job Postings
- Assistant/Associate Professor, Extension - Natural Resource Specialist - The University of Nevada, Reno is seeking to fill a 12-month, full-time, tenure-track faculty position as a Natural Resource Specialist. The Extension Specialist position involves teaching, research, and service efforts addressing the issue of wildfire in Nevada through the Living With Fire program and other initiatives. For full consideration, submit all materials here by September 1, 2018.
- Assistant or Associate Professor - Texas Tech University is accepting applications for a tenure-track faculty position in Fire Ecology. Submit materials here by the beginning of application reviews on August 1, 2018.
- Fire Ecology Program Internships - The Fire Ecology Program at Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy in Tallahassee, FL seeks to provide field and laboratory experience for college students and recent graduates in the areas of plant ecology, ecosystem ecology, and fire ecology and science. Most internships last 12-16 weeks and are largely fieldwork based. Summer interns work from May-August and Fall interns work from October-December. Get full details and application instructions here.
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Driptorch Digest
This newsletter is hosted by the Southeast Regional Partnership for Planning & Sustainability (SERPPAS) Prescribed Fire Work Group.
Contact us to share your prescribed fire
information, stories, and events!
Jennifer Fawcett - Extension Associate
SERPPAS Prescribed Fire Work Group Coordinator
NC State University, Extension Forestry
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EXTENSION FORESTRY
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Campus Box 8008
Raleigh, NC 27695-8008
919-515-8288
Laurel Kays - Extension Assistant
NC State University, College of Natural Resources
Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources
Campus Box 8008
Raleigh, NC 27695-8008
919-513-2573
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