July 17, 2006

SONORA – A burn workshop is scheduled for Aug. 17-19 at the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station near Sonora.

Prescribed fire is an effective rangeland management tool, said Ray Hinnant, Experiment Station senior research associate and one of the course instructors.

"This is a hands-on workshop where participants will receive both classroom and field instruction," Hinnant said. "Participants will be able to go home after this workshop and apply many of the concepts to their own operation."

Prescribed fire can be used to remove a variety of woody plants and cactus species from rangeland, Hinnant said.

"Fire can also be cost-effective in some instances, serving as an alternative to chemical application," he said.

Workshop topics include fire history and rationale, summer and winter burn practices, fire prescriptions, fuels and fuel moisture, equipment and safety, practice burns and developing burning plans.

Participants will also be given a tour of the Sonora station, viewing rangeland that has previously undergone burn applications. Other instructors will be Dr. Charles "Butch" Taylor, research station superintendent; Dr. Mort Kothmann, Experiment Station rangeland scientist; and Kent Mills, nutritionist, Hi-Pro Feeds.

The cost for the workshop is $395 per person. Lodging and meals at the Sonora station are included. Separate sleeping quarters for men and women and limited space for couples are available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, call 979-845-5580 or visit the Web at http://www.ranchmanagement.org .