Kansas Prescribed Burn Association

THIS PROJECT WILL IMPLEMENT APPROXIMATELY ONE THOUSAND ACRES OF PRESCRIBED FIRE: SIXTY ACRES OF NATIVE HERBACEOUS PLANTING AND ONE HUNDRED FIFTY TO THREE HUNDRED ACRES OF TIMBER AND FOREST STAND IMPROVEMENT. PROJECTS WILL OCCUR ON PRIVATE LANDS ACROSS THREE SEPARATE LANDOWNERS. THESE PRACTICES CAN BE WEATHER DEPENDENT AND NEED MULTIPLE YEARS FOR SITE PREPARATION. POLLINATORS ARE THE MAIN FOCUS OF THIS PROJECT. FALL NECTURING SOURCES WILL BE INCREASED FOR USE OF MIGRATING MONARCHS.

DESCRIPTIVE TITLE: ARPBA IMPLEMENTATION OF FIRE ON PRIVATE LANDSPROJECT ABSTRACT:ARKANSAS IS DIVERSE STATE WITH A LONG HISTORY OF FIRE CULTURE. ALTHOUGH FIRE IS PREVALENT ANNUAL ACRESBURNED ARE STILL BELLOW THE THRESHOLD TO MAINTAIN THE HABITAT WE HAVE. FIRE IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OFMAINTAINING HABITATS AND ECOSYSTEMS IN ARKANSAS. FIRE EXCLUSION AND UNMANAGED TIMBER STANDS HAVEMOVED FROM FIRE TOLERANT SPECIES WITH AN-OPEN CANOPY WITH AN HERBACEOUS UNDERSTORY TO A DENSEOVERSTOCKED FOREST OF SHADE TOLERANT SPECIES WITH LITTLE HERBACEOUS UNDERSTORY. IN AN EFFORT TO INCREASEAND MAINTAIN FIRE IMPLEMENTATION ON THE NEARLY NINETY PERCENT OF PRIVATELY OWNED ACRES IN ARKANSAS THEARKANSAS PRESCRIBED BURN ASSOCIATION WAS ESTABLISHED. THE ARPBA IS THE PARENT OF NINE ACTIVE PRESCRIBEDBURN ASSOCIATIONS. THESE BURN ASSOCIATIONS ARE GROUPS OF LANDOWNERS WHO RECIPROCATE BURNS IN AN EFFORTTO BUILD CAPACITY LOCALLY. THE ARPBA WAS FORMED TO HELP CONSOLIDATE RESOURCES, TRACK ACCOMPLISHMENTS,PROVIDE TRAINING, AND EQUIPMENT NEEDS, AND SERVE AS A LIAISON TO STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES.THE FUNDING PROVIDED UNDER THIS AWARD WILL BE USED FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF APPROXIMATELY 1750 ACRESPRESCRIBED FIRE ON PRIORITY HABITATS ON PRIVATE LANDS. ELIGIBLE LANDOWNERS MUST BE ACTIVE MEMBERS IN THELOCAL PBA CHAPTER AND FOLLOW ALL STATE LAWS RELATED TO PRESCRIBED FIRE IN ARKANSAS AND ENTER INTO A PRIVATELANDOWNER AGREEMENT WITH THE PARTNERS FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE PROGRAM.