by Prescribed Fire Coordinator Mike Bozzo
The Second Annual Prescribed Burn Association / Prescribed Fire Cooperatives (PBA/PFC) Leaders Meeting was held June 24 at Harbison State Forest’s Environmental Education Center in Columbia. It included representatives from 10 different agencies and organizations with the goal of learning how to best raise awareness of these groups with landowners. Representatives from several PBAs from Georgia, North Carolina and five of the six in South Carolina were in attendance.
Goals
Forty-one prescribed burn leaders exchanged ideas on how better to communicate with landowners on the benefits of belonging to a PBA (PFCs is the preferred term in South Carolina) and how to get them to help one another in conducting prescribed burns. It was also a time to share accomplishments and challenges from various PFCs.
Discussions
Roundtable presentations with representatives from each of the PFCs allowed leaders to discuss their accomplishments, which totaled more tracts (113) and more acreage burned (1,554) since PFCs first began in 2022. Along with these reports, handouts such as an equipment inventory list, prescribed burn plans, smoke management information and maps of the PFCs in SC, as well as a national map showing their location, were available for landowners and PFC leaders.
In line with the communication theme, Angela Gaskell from the NC Sandhills PBA spoke about branding their PBA, providing educational opportunities for landowners, site visits and the use of social media to get the word out to the public. Multiple presenters mentioned that more landowners getting involved means greater acceptance of prescribed burning happening in those areas.
Raising awareness
Fire Festivals have occurred in NC but also here at Hitchcock Woods, Aiken and along the coast at Sewee, as noted by Hitchcock Woods Superintendent Bennett Tucker and The Nature Conservancy Conservation Forester Patric Ma. Learn-To-Burn workshops conducted around the state have increased landowners’ interest in conducting their own prescribed burns. Of course, many landowners said that they would want some professional assistance for at least the first time or two.
Additional comments in the afternoon session focused on the fact that humans are social people, and they like to gather in groups. These comments came from a panel discussion of experienced PBA leaders, namely Angela Gaskell (NC Sandhills PBA), Bennett Tucker (Hitchcock Woods and Aiken PFC) and Jake McClain (Quail Forever and Piedmont PFC).
In summary, leaders recommended learning the culture of the area in order to restore the fire presence in the area, conducting informational meetings to increase knowledge levels and providing burning opportunities to advance experience and confidence levels to a point where landowners would feel comfortable conducting their own burns.
Landowner comments
Following the panel, some of the landowners representing a few of the new and upcoming PFCs shared their concerns:
- Growing numbers of smoke-sensitive areas
- Primarily new developments
- How to get other landowners involved, especially at some level of leadership
Landowners said they have had success in getting adjoining landowners involved, and they hope to spread the word by example. The plan is to invite others to attend burns, making every burn a ‘Learn to Burn’ experience.
Communication
Several PBA leaders spoke about various platforms they use to stay in contact with their landowners. The Longleaf Alliance Coastal Partnerships Coordinator Jennie Haskell spoke about the Signal app, which is used to stay in contact with the landowners of the Aiken PFC. Signal informs members about prescribed burns that need assistance from other landowners. Haskell said the app is flexible enough to create subgroups, like for a particular burn.
Some use Square Space, which is easy to use, while others just use regular email. These specific apps can help organize and promote various activities and events.
In wrapping up the meeting, several reps from agencies as well as SCFC spoke about future funding possibilities to support the formation and sustainability of the PFCs here in South Carolina.
Since the meeting, Edgefield/McCormick/Saluda Sector Fire Management Officer Colton Webb has accepted the position of SC Prescribed Fire Program Coordinator.
