While we’re mired in a month of actual winter, the idea of a public meeting about fire and its benefits might attract a crowd just for the warm thoughts. The newly formed Mid Mississippi Prescribed Burn Association of Missouri is more than just a hot idea; the group helps landowners work together to manage their properties safely and effectively.
Combining people and resources from Jefferson and Ste. Genevieve County, the organization is ready to recruit members at an open meeting at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, at the Festus Crystal City Conservation Club near the intersection of I-55 and Hwy. 61 south of Festus.
The association’s stated goal is “to promote the responsible use of prescribed fire, assist with prescribed burns and promote safe management practices of prescribed fire.” The two-county organization is one of 17 such groups in the state that unite people from adjacent counties to work together on local needs.
Connected by the Missouri Prescribed Fire Council, the smaller groups are called PBAs for Prescribed Burn Association. They rely on a landowner-helping-landowner strategy with support from the state Department of Conservation and organizations like the National Wild Turkey Federation, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever.
The first groups in the state were established in 2015 and quickly proved successful in pilot programs. The concept brings together experience, assistance, and equipment to allow land managers to use a tool that predates European settlement in America.
“Historically, fire played an important role determining which plant species could survive in a given location, therefore shaping the natural communities in Missouri including prairies, savannas, woodlands, glades forests and even wetlands,” states the moprescribedfire.org website.
“Fire occurred naturally from lightning strikes and was used by Native Americans as a tool to distribute grazing bison. Since then, fire has been suppressed for the protection of property, but this has led to build up of vegetative fuels.”
Adam Mikesch is president of the Jefferson-Ste. Genevieve County PBA, which began as a public interest meeting in September at the Festus VFW. About 50 people attended that meeting and 10 volunteered to consider forming the group.
“I own 254 acres in northern Ste. Gen County, and I was working with the conservation department for habitat enhancement and improvement,” Mikesch said. “The Ste. Gen County Private Land Conservationist, Luke Wehmhoff, helped me plan and execute the burn on my property.”
A 16-acre cedar glade had grown over and included significant underbrush. The burn took most of a day and drew nearly a dozen volunteers, and the resulting return to the natural habitat was almost immediately evident.
“This summer there were turkeys nesting in it and wildflowers like I had never seen,” Mikesch said. “The day before turkey hunting season, I had four gobblers out there strutting right in front of the trail camera at the edge of the glade.”
The local PBA has three levels of membership. Full members pay annual dues of $25 and get access to the organization’s trailer full of equipment for conducting prescribed burns on their property. Volunteers and associate members don’t pay dues but have no access to the trailer.
“The people on our board come from all walks of life,” Mikesch said. “We have landowners, hunters and naturalists who just like to help the birds and butterflies and other insects. We support all of that,” Mikesch said. “There is not one particular audience; we’re all just people who are passionate about the outdoors.”
Landowners, managers and area residents are all invited to the Feb. 8 meeting to learn more about the organization. For more information about the Mid Mississippi Prescribed Burn Association, send an email to midmspba @gmail.com, find the group’s Facebook page or visit the Missouri Prescribed Fire Council webpage at moprescribedfire.org.
John Winkelman has been writing about outdoors news and issues in Jefferson County for more than 30 years and was the Associate Editor for Outdoor Guide Magazine. If you have story ideas for the Leader outdoor news page, e-mail ogmjohnw@aol.com, and you can find more outdoor news and updates at johnjwink.com.