1. Texas Prescribed Burning Board Texas A&M Forest Service Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Texas A&M AgriLife Experiment Station Texas Tech University Range and Wildlife Department Texas Department of Agriculture State Soil and Water Conservation Board 5 Private Landowners

2. Responsibilities of the Board  Set standards for prescribed burning  Develop comprehensive training curriculum for the certification of prescribed burn managers.  Set standards for certification, renewal, and training of certified and insured prescribed burn managers and instructors.

5. PBAT Mission The Prescribed Burn Alliance of Texas mission is to support member prescribed burning associations in promoting and protecting the right of Texas landowners to use prescribed burning in a safe, economical, and effective management practice.

7. Key Issues/Priorities  Increased communication/sharing of resources for issues of mutual interest.  Addressing insurance liabilities for PBAs via a state-wide “voice”.  Increased education and training for Association members and target stakeholders (e.g., commissioners courts).  Improved data collection on prescribed fire applied by PBAs.

8. Goals and Objectives  Explore “umbrella” or improved insurance coverage for PBAs.  Increase communication material for use in education and training (both internal and external).  Facilitate the sharing of resources among PBAs.  Mentoring of new or younger landowners.

9. Target Audiences  Prescribed Burn Board  Commissioners Court  Natural resource agencies (e.g., TFS, NRCS)  Volunteer Fire Departments  Private Landowners  General Public

10. NRCS-Conservation Innovation Grant  Goal: Increase prescribed fire use through an Alliance of burning associations, and integration of web-based technology, particularly for education and training.  Objectives: – Facilitate the establishment of a state-wide Prescribed Fire Alliance (meeting May 2011) – initial steps. – Develop a web-based clearing house or “portal” for supporting Associations/communication. – Develop web-based training modules to support burning certification.

11.  http://pbatexas.org  http://www.texasagriculture.gov  Brian Hays, bhays@tamu.edu