Being of the smokey bear era(old farts), the wife and myself when to Bell Buckle as well several years ago. It eased her mine about burning. We need to go back for a refresher course. We also try to burn a different area every year and have been doing this for the last 6 or 7 years with good results. The only problem we have is the manpower when weather conditions are right. There are cost share programs thru NCRS/TWRA which helps with costs.
Same here. Hard to plan out a day or two ahead, and having that actual weather forecast coming to fruition. Myself and my cousin are usually readily available, but hill country typically requires at least 1 more person. The more the better
Agreed!! 3 folks at least here but the 4th is much better, they can circle around on 4 wheeler to relay messages, hand out water etc. while everyone else have boots on the ground.
I only wish we could drive an ATV around what we would like to burn, but FAR too steep for that. Some of the areas are so steep it requires crawling on your hands and knees to get up them. Burning in THAT environment is EXTREMELY tricky. I've burned in those environments, but it takes a lot of people and equipment, and you can expect the fire to jump the lines several times, which can be a hair-raising experience.
When considering quality habitat produced per dollar spent, fire is unquestionably the most cost-effective management tool available.
We have used the state guys multiple times . The only problem with them, they have a lot of requests for burns and little time per the weather to burn. They've got a good bunch of people to work with and they do a great job. I just wished that their higher ups would let them burn when conditions are right than all the pre paperwork and approvals.
I have definitely heard this complaint before. Too many requests for service and not enough good burn weather.
Yep!
It's not about paperwork and approvals. It's about public safety. You have to remember that when it's right for prescribed fire, it's right for wildfires. TDF doesn't have enough resources to do both. If they are dispatched to a wildfire while on a Rx burn then the priority goes to the widlfire. The Rx burn will be extinguished.
That sounds right.
It was $42/ac but is expected to go up this fiscal year.
I assume there's a minimum acreage or charge?
No minimum acreage but $420 is minimum charge to 10 acres. Then it's $42 per acre. Over 100 acres can have a reduced price.
