Prescribed Fire and Smoke Management
Prescribed burning is the deliberate use of fire under specified and controlled conditions to achieve a resource management goal. Benefits include:
- site preparation for reforesting,
- hardwood control in pine stands,
- wildfire hazard reduction,
- improved wildlife habitat
- threatened and endangered species management.
To assist in achieveing these goals, the Virginia Department of Forestry has established a Certified Prescribed Burn Managers Program. This three-day program includes sessions on fire behavior, environmental effects of fire, and smoke management.
Who should attend:
- landowners (who want to learn about prescribed burning)
- natural resource managers
- consultants
- farmers
- contractors
Those who successfully complete the training will become certified under the program.
For more information on prescribed burning, smoke management, or the certified prescribed burn managers course, contact Fred Turck.
Burn Manager Tools
- Guide (English; PDF format)
- Burn Plan (English; PDF format)
- References on the American Indian Use of Fire in Ecosystems (English; Word format)
Code of Virginia
- Definitions 10.1-1150.1
- Certification Process 10.1-1150.2
- Voluntary Certification 10.1-1150.3
- Prescribed Burn Elements 10.1-1150.4
- Liability 10.1-1150.5
- Revocation of Certification 10.1-1150.6
- 4PM Burning Law - Exemption
Additional Information
Prescribed Burning Benefits and Techniques
- Fire! A Fair Weather Friend (English; PDF format)
- Prescribed Burning In Southern Pine Forests: Fire Ecology, Techniques, and Uses for Wildlife Management (English; PDF format)
- A Guide for Prescribed Fire in Southern Forests "The Black Book"
- Prescribed Fire NWCG Publication Management System
- Prescribed Burn Statutes
Prescribed Burning and Wildlife Management
- Wildland Fire in Ecosystems: Effects of Fire on Soil and Water (English; PDF format)
- Creating Herbaceous Woodland Openings to Improve Wildlife Habitat
- History of Wild Turkey in Virginia
- Managing Pine Stands for Wildlife
- Developing Wildlife-Friendly Pine Plantations (English; PDF format)
- Wild Turkey Management (English; PDF format)
- Effects of Fire on Air | Fauna | Flora (English; PDF format)
Smoke Management
- Emission Standards For Open Burning (English; PDF format)
- A Guide to Mid-Atlantic Regional Air Quality (English; PDF format)
- Wildfire Smoke - A Guide for Public Health Officials (English; PDF format)
- Particles and Your Health (English; PDF format)
- Modeling of Prescribed Fire Smoke
- Air and Radiation - Web site of the Environmental Protection Agency
Additional Resources
- Fire Effects Information System FEIS
- Prescribed Fire - information from the Private Forest Management Team.
Last modified: Monday, 19-Oct-2009 14:35:13 EDT