WENATCHEE, Wash. – The newly formed Washington State Prescribed Fire Council is holding its first conference Tuesday, March 6 and Wednesday, March 7 at the Coast Wenatchee Center Hotel in Wenatchee. The event is open to managers, practitioners, researchers and anyone else interested in the future of prescribed burns and costs $60 for early registration. The fee increases to $75 after Jan. 31.
The conference will focus on the role of fire and prescribed fire councils in Washington, identifying and overcoming challenges to prescribed burns and will feature British Columbia ecologist Don Gayton and University of Washington forest ecologist Jerry Franklin as speakers.
Attendees will learn about training and funding opportunities, discuss smoke and liability issues and have the opportunity to network with other practitioners. For a full agenda, visit www.waprescribedfire.org.
This Washington State Prescribed Fire Council was created to protect, conserve and expand the responsible use of prescribed fire in Washington and fills an important niche in the state by providing a venue for prescribed burn practitioners to collaborate and mobilize. This council joins over 25 similar councils across North America.
Registration includes catered lunches, a banquet on day one, vendor displays, and a poster session featuring fire-related organizations from around the state. To register online, visit http://bit.ly/firecouncilconf1.
For questions about registration, contact Andy Perleberg at 509-667-6540 or andyp@wsu.edu. For those interested in sponsoring the conference, vendors and others who have questions about the program, contact Leyna Quinn-Davidson at 707-272-0637 or wa.rxfircouncil@gmail.com.