A prescribed burn seminar was held at the Hutton Fire Department on March 24th. Despite the cold, rainy weather, over 35 attendees learned about the benefits of native prairie and wildflower ‘pollinator’ habitats, pre-scribed burning as a management tool for habitat im-provement, and the burn planning process and permits.
Speakers included Amber Hall, a Farm Bill Biologist from Pheasants Forever, Lauren Spaniol, Coles County SWCD’s Resource Conservationist, and Kent Macy, a former NRCS biologist.
Pheasants Forever and the Lincoln Heritage RC&D sponsored lunch, and members from both organizations were on hand to discuss their programs and answer questions. Due to the weather, the prairie burn sched-uled to take place after lunch was postponed.
Prescribed burning is frequently used in woodland and prairie restorations. Many CRP contracts also include prescribed burns as a mid-contract-management activity. Fire is a natural part of both forest and grasslands, and controlled fire can be a great tool for management of natural areas and control of undesirable species.