MISSOURI — The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and the Missouri Prescribed Fire Council (MPFC) encourage landowners, land managers, and others who conduct prescribed burns on private land to “Log Your Burn” through the MPFC website at moprescribedfire.org.

Prescribed fire, or controlled burning, is an affordable and effective management tool to accomplish land management goals including: reducing fuel loads to reduce the chance and intensity of wildfire; restoring native plant communities; enhancing wildlife habitat for wild turkeys, deer, and other game species; improving livestock forage production; regenerating trees; and controlling invasive species such as bush honeysuckle.

“Prescribed burning can be effective in meeting various land management goals in the summer, fall, and winter, but early spring is that time of year when we tend to see the greatest number of smoke columns rising into the air from prescribed burns on private land,” said Wes Buchheit, Missouri Prescribed Fire Coordinating Wildlife Biologist with Pheasants Forever, Inc. and Quail Forever.

“After the prescribed burn is complete, there is one more quick step that can support the continued and expanded use of prescribed fire – Log Your Burn,” Buchheit added.

Visit the MPFC website at moprescribedfire.org to Log Your Burn. This is a voluntary and anonymous entry for prescribed burns completed on private land in Missouri.

The Log Your Burn questions ask the date, county, acres, and habitat type burned, along with identifying if a prescribed burn association or landowner cooperative was used to provide assistance. The last questions ask if any fire occurred outside the burn unit, and if so, to what extent. To avoid multiple submissions for one burn unit, the landowner or the contractor leading the burn should be the one completing the entry.

“This information is useful in charting the use of prescribed fire across the state and is key in demonstrating the safe use of this critical land management tool with insurance providers, legislators, and Missourians,” explained Buchheit.

MPFC and other conservation partners such as MDC are seeking opportunities for insurance providers to offer affordable insurance policies for prescribed burning, especially for contractors who have identified this as a major hurdle.

“Please add this step to your prescribed burning process,” he added. “Submissions can be made at any time, but soon after the burn is best as not to forget to Log Your Burn. It only takes a few minutes, and with your help, we can collectively add supporting information to those smoke columns.”

Learn more about using prescribed fire from MPFC at moprescribedfire.org/ and MDC at  mdc.mo.gov/your-property/fire-management/prescribed-fire.