Today we're interviewing Ted Devos with Bach and Devos Forestry and Wildlife Services. Ted is an expert on controlled burn techniques that enhance wildlife habitat for quail, deer, and turkeys. Bach and Devos have prescribed fire on 10's of thousands of acres of forests in the Southeast and today they share what they've learned along the way. Along with covering the techniques for a controlled burn that should be implemented to improve wildlife habitat, we'll cover the objectives of prescribed fi...
Today we're interviewing Ted Devos with Bach and Devos Forestry and Wildlife Services. Ted is an expert on controlled burn techniques that enhance wildlife habitat for quail, deer, and turkeys. Bach and Devos have prescribed fire on 10's of thousands of acres of forests in the Southeast and today they share what they've learned along the way.
Along with covering the techniques for a controlled burn that should be implemented to improve wildlife habitat, we'll cover the objectives of prescribed fire for landowners. We'll answer the questions:
> What are some controlled burn pros and cons?
> From a wildlife perspective, what objectives can a controlled burn help a landowner accomplish?
One of the most important aspects of a controlled burn is safety. Safety for the fire managers is paramount, but also for the community around the prescribed fire as well as the wildlife themselves. Ted shares some of the important planning that goes into prescribed fire to ensure that all shareholders are protected. Some of the questions that need to be answered with regards to safety are:
>What conditions are ideal for a prescribed burn with regards to safety for the fire managers and the landowner/community?
>What about fire safety for wildlife? Do different species require a different prescription?
Another important consideration in prescribed fire specifically for the benefit of wildlife are the size and rotations of the controlled burn.
What size burn block should a landowner consider based on his objectives?
Should burn blocks always be adjacent to unburned blocks? Is that possible?
And of course, no discussion of any land improvement can be had without the inclusion of cost. Few have unlimited budgets and every dollar spent on one habitat improvement is a dollar that can't be spent somewhere else. When considering the cost of a controlled burn:
What is the range in regards to cost per acre for a controlled burn?
Will a prescribed fire improve the value of the timber on the property? If so, how much?
What creates the variability? What type of added expenses are there to get a property prepared for a controlled burn?
What programs exist for landowners that can help them with the cost of a controlled burn?
Controlled Burns and prescribed fire are an excellent tool the forest managers need to consider when looking to maximize the amount of wildlife habitat on their property. A properly done controlled burn is safe, economical, and a boon to the wildlife that inhabit the property.
We get a lot of landowners that want to know, how much is my land worth? We’ve recorded a video series to explain exactly how we determine that... just head over to http://www.landhuntin.com to get the series.
Thanks for listening, If you would like more information on habitat management on your land be sure to email us your questions to pros@landhuntin.com.
