Down East NC Prescribed Burn Association

There’s been a notable shift in fire ecology on the southeastern landscape, one that I’ve fully noticed only in the past year. The presence of prescribed burn associations and the momentum at which they are making an impact is impressive. Targeted for the private landowner and manager, PBA’s have the fortunate ability to apply proven, professional fire science and practices, without the burden of agency administration to maintain. I believe this is the fundamental mechanism that has allowed the success of many prescribed burn associations across the country. PBA members are doers, and that horsepower, coupled with the knowledge of good fire practices, gets things done. The fire doesn’t care who’s land it’s on.

Within the Down East PBA there’s two key aspects we focus on. First, qualifying new NC Certified Burners by giving landowners and land managers the opportunity to learn and work one on one with agency professionals to build the confidence they need to practice prescribed fire on their lands. And second, creating a “burn better smarter” approach by further developing the skills and abilities of our Certified Burners to a professional level that can implement more complex prescribed fire opportunities. In addition, fire alone can only achieve so much. Fire coupled with sound forestry, wildlife, and soil management practices creates exponential gains in total land management. The Down East PBA works to connect the right people with the right resources to accomplish those tasks.

I’ve worked in wildland fire for over 30 years, with both state and federal governments, in many states across the country. I’ve had the pleasure of implementing prescribed burns across many fuel types and landscapes in those capacities. It’s now a humble privilege to begin a new and different approach to fire management. Let’s see what we can do together.

-Derrick