WENATCHEE, Wash. — The newly formed Washington State Prescribed Fire Council is holding its first annual conference March 6 and 7 at the Coast Wenatchee Center Hotel in Wenatchee. The Council is a collaborative group working to protect, conserve, and expand the responsible use of prescribed fire on the Washington landscape and joins over 25 similar councils across North America. Managers, practitioners, researchers, and interested persons are invited to contribute to the formation of the council and to shape the future of prescribed burning in Washington.
The two-day conference agenda includes talks by fire ecologists and other prescribed-burning experts. Ay one focuses on the role of fire and prescribed fire councils in Washington. Day two focuses on identifying and overcoming challenges to prescribed fire. Noted British Columbia ecologist and writer Don Gayton will deliver the keynote address and University of Washington forest ecologist Jerry Franklin will deliver closing remarks. For a full agenda, visit www.waprescribedfire.org.
Conference attendees will learn about training, funding, and other opportunities; discuss smoke and liability issues affecting prescribed fire use; network with other committed practitioners; and contribute to the national momentum moving prescribed fire councils into the future. The council fills an important niche in the state, providing a collective voice for issues relevant to prescribed fire and a formal venue for the mobilization and collaboration of the prescribed fire community.
To register online, visit http://bit.ly/firecouncilconf1. Registration is $60 if received by Jan. 31, $75 afterwards. Registration includes catered lunches, a banquet on day one, vendor displays, and a poster session featuring fire-related organizations from around the state.
Questions about registration should be addressed to Andy Perleberg, 509-667-6540, andyp@wsu.edu. Persons interested in sponsoring the conference, vendors, and those interested in presenting a poster or who have questions about the program should contact Leyna Quinn-Davidson, 707-272-0637, wa.rxfirecouncil@gmail.com. Disability accommodation is available on request.
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