Experiment Station Looking At
Forming Prescribed Burn Co-op

SONORA — The Texas Agricultural Experiment Station at Sonora is investigating interest among ranchers in forming a prescribed burning cooperative for Edwards and Sutton counties. Station superintendent Dr. Charles "Butch" Taylor is coordinating the effort.

"It has been our experience that most ranchers lack the experience, training, equipment and/or labor to conduct burns," Taylor says. "We like to help people burn, but with our time limitation we are unable to help but very few people."

The cooperative would be run by ranchers and not the Experiment Station, but it is hoped that the Extension Service, Natural Resource Conservation Service and local volunteer fire departments would be involved. Taylor says that initially the Experiment Station would serve as a location to coordinate activities of the co-op. In time, Taylor says, he hopes ranchers would gain enough experience in burning that the leadership role would be shifted to their control.

"We believe that by combining the experience, equipment and labor in a burning cooperative, we can help each other conduct prescribed burns in a proper and timely manner," he says.

The cooperative, he adds, can not only help ranchers gain the necessary experience and obtain equipment, but it also could potentially be an organization that could help influence county and state legislation.

The Experiment Station has scheduled an informal field tour for Wednesday, Oct. 22 to see first-hand the results of cool season as well as warm season burning. Those interested in finding out more about prescribed burning and a cooperative effort are encouraged to attend. The tour will begin at 10:30 a.m.

More information is available from Taylor at (915)387-3168.