Prescribed fire is an essential tool in forest management; however, many landowners are intimidated by its use. There are also specialized tools and equipment necessary to conduct a prescribed burn that not all landowners may have. This is where prescribed fire associations (PBA) (also called prescribed burn cooperatives) come in! A PBA is a group of landowners and other interested individuals who work together to conduct prescribed burns. Members of the association share expertise, time, resources, and equipment to support each other in conducting prescribed burns. This peer-to-peer mentorship allows landowners to gain skills and confidence to conduct their own burns and, therefore, increase the amount of burning done each year. While each association operates differently, they all have the same goal: promoting the use of prescribed fire as a safe and effective forest management tool.
PBAs were first established in the Midwest, but the concept has become increasingly popular, and these groups have expanded across the US. We are seeing more of these groups forming in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi.
South Carolina has three current associations/cooperatives and two more in the works, encompassing 15 counties. The current associations are Piedmont Prescribed Fire Co-op, Broad River Prescribed Fire Co-op and Chesterfield Prescribed Fire Co-op, and associations are in the formation stages in Aiken and Kershaw counties.
Additional information on the value of forming a Prescribed Burn Association can be found here. An interactive map of associations across the US can be found at https://kstate.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=3eacaaf1a3514d3da2e5215b5dd55f9b.
If you are interested in being involved in an existing PBA or forming a new one, contact your local extension office.
Links to current prescribed fire associations (cooperatives):
Aiken Prescribed Fire Cooperative- https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554380421402
Broad River Prescribed Fire Cooperative- https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089593328205
Piedmont Prescribed Fire Cooperative- https://www.facebook.com/ppfcooperative/
Additional resource:
The Value of Forming a Prescribed Burn Association (PBA)- https://southernfireexchange.org/wp-content/uploads/2016-2.pdf
Author(s)
Derrick Phinney, Cooperative Extension, Forestry and Wildlife Agent
Jaime Pohlman, Cooperative Extension, Forestry and Wildlife Agent
This information is supplied with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement of brand names or registered trademarks by the Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service is implied, nor is any discrimination intended by the exclusion of products or manufacturers not named. All recommendations are for South Carolina conditions and may not apply to other areas.
Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.
