Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service to host Great Plains Fire Summit Aug. 13-15 in Canyon
Prescribed fire conference open to landowners, students and land management professionals
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will host the Great Plains Fire Summit Aug. 13-15 in Canyon.
The event will begin at 8 a.m. each day at the West Texas A&M University Happy State Bank Academic and Research Building, 600 WTAMU Drive. The final day of the conference will be dedicated to post-conference organization board meetings.
Registration is required at https://tx.ag/FireSummit. General registration is $150, while a $100 reduced rate is available for landowners, students and county agents. Lunch and dinner are included in the registration fee and will be provided each day.
“The summit is a practical and applied prescribed fire conference dedicated to all types of land stewards,” said Morgan Treadwell, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension range specialist, San Angelo. “Whether you are a prescribed fire novice or expert, the diverse sessions and expert presenters will provide participants with a wealth of information on the latest fire trends, research and resources.”
Conference topics and schedule
The event will feature expert speakers in prescribed fire and land management from across Texas and the U.S.
The first day of the conference includes plenary speakers discussing the past, present and future of prescribed fire as a land management tool, followed by concurrent sessions on basic and advanced concepts in prescribed fire and information on the Prescribed Burn Association and The Prairie Project.
The day concludes with a tour of JA Ranch, the oldest privately owned cattle operation in the Panhandle.
The second day begins with a trade show followed by talks from experts related to current fire science. A panel discussion, led by cattle producers across Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nevada, will provide insight on burning, grazing and drought management.
Following this, attendees will hear from seven state and federal agencies, including the Texas A&M Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Services and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, regarding training available for prescribed fire practitioners.
An additional panel discussion will provide perspective on the 2024 wildfires in the Panhandle, followed by concurrent sessions covering prescribed fire cost sharing, contractors, air quality regulations and more.
The day concludes with a tour of Palo Duro Canyon State Park and awards.
Event collaborators
This event is made possible through support from the Texas Grazing Land Coalition, Texas A&M Forest Service, Great Plains Fire Science Exchange, The Prairie Project and the Nebraska Prescribed Fire Council.
For more information, contact Treadwell at [email protected].
