Governor Bob Riley is proclaiming February 2010 as “Prescribed Fire Awareness Month” in Alabama.  Prescribed fire is a safe way to apply a natural process, ensure ecosystem health, and reduce wildfire risk.  The Alabama Prescribed Fire Council (ALPFC) and U.S. Forest Service, Talladega Ranger District invites you to learn about the practice of prescribed fire on Saturday, February 6, 2010.  You will have an opportunity to observe a 55-acre burn in southwestern Clay County and learn why prescribed fire is an important tool that improves plant and animal habitat and reduces the buildup of hazardous fuels.

The prescribed burn will take place in the Talladega National Forest, Talladega District and an adjoining private tract owned by Carl and Joyce Dison (see attached map).  Participants will be chaperoned and able to observe a portion of the controlled burn unit from a safe vantage point.  Prescribed fire specialists and natural resource managers will be available to answer your questions. 

Prescribed burning is conducted under special weather and fuel parameters.  Therefore, the February 6, 2010 is a tentative date because conditions may not be favorable.  Selecting the date in advance, you can “plan” your calendar to attend.  We feel selecting a Saturday, weather permitting, allows for more people to attend and learn more about this very important tool to manage healthy ecosystems. 

We are confident a “window” for the burn will occur February.  The best advance notice we could hope for would be 2 days ahead of the burn so please be flexible when notified.  We ask that you RSVP no later than January 15, 2010 so we may plan for lunch and drinks.   The program will be evaluated for continuing education contact hour credits.    

Attendees will need to meet at the Coleta Valley Volunteer Fire Department.   Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. and the program will begin promptly at 9 a.m.  We will have an indoor presentation and interaction from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. with a light lunch served from 11 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.  We will load into as few vehicles as possible and travel approximately 5 miles to the burn location for observation until 2:30 p.m. and return to the fire station for closeout by 3 p.m. 

ALPFC mission is to “protect, conserve, and expand the safe use of prescribed fire on Alabama’s fire adapted landscape”.  We encourage you to visit ALPFC website (www.alpfc.org) and be supportive of the use of fire to achieve the variety of resource objectives and be confident that work is performed by competent practitioners on both private and public properties.  

John R. Stivers