NRCS Promoting the Benefits of Prescribed Burns

With all the negative news about wildfires these days, it's not surprising that ranchers may not have thought about the benefits of prescribed burning.

"We get benefit that herbicide can't compare to, that grazing can't compare to. Now, I'm not saying fire is your cure-all, single-bullet answer, but it does produce a lot of different nutrient responses, both below ground and above ground, that we don't see with any other management strategy," said Morgan Russell at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.

"The first objectives would be to promote forest production, " said Pepe Martinez of the USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service says prescribed burns can be helpful.

There are also other benefits, including cutting down on brush, "And a very important reason is to reduce significantly any chances of having a wildfire."

If you want to know more about prescribed burning, contact your local NRCS office.