Factors influencing County Commissioners’ decisions about burn bans in the Southern Plains, USA

Authors: MCDANIEL, THOMAS - Texas A&M University; Wonkka, Carissa; TREADWELL, MORGAN - Texas A&M Agrilife; KREUTER, URS - Texas A&M University

Submitted to: Land
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/24/2021
Publication Date: 6/30/2021
Citation: Mcdaniel, T.W., Wonkka, C.L., Treadwell, M.L., Kreuter, U.P. 2021. Factors influencing County Commissioners’ decisions about burn bans in the Southern Plains, USA. Land. 10(7):686. https://doi.org/10.3390/land10070686.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/land10070686

Interpretive Summary: Woody plant have been spreading into North American rangelands, leading to calls for greater use of planned fires to reduce fuels and restore grazing productivity. However, use of planned fire during the best conditions for killing shrubs and trees has often been limited by burn bans implemented by County Commissioners. This study reports findings related to Commissioners’ familiarity with and attitudes toward planned burning in Texas and Oklahoma and how these attitudes influence their decisions to enact burn bans in the Southern Plains. Most responding Commissioners considered planned burning to be a safe and beneficial land management tool that should be used more frequently. Familiarity with burning was the most significant explanatory variable for this attitude. Further, familiarity with burning was positively correlated with respondent participation in a planned burn. Such invitations came mostly from private landowners. Landowners wishing to use prescribed fire may benefit from building trust with local Commissioners by demonstrating they are qualified to conduct such fires safely. This could help reduce the frequency of burn ban enactment by Commissioners and may increase the likelihood Commissioners will grant burn ban exemptions to trained burners. Additionally, because Commissioners’ primary sources of prescribed fire information were reported to be local fire departments and emergency services, educating those entities about the benefits of fire for reducing wildfire risks could help reduce pressure on Commissioners to enact burn bans

Technical Abstract: Woody plant encroachment in North American rangelands has led to calls for greater use of prescribed fire to reduce fuel loads and restore grazing productivity. However, use of prescribed fire during periods when woody plant mortality can be maximized has often been limited by burn bans implemented by County Commissioners. This study reports findings related to Commissioners’ familiarity with and attitudes toward prescribed fire in Texas and Oklahoma and how these may influence their decision regarding burn ban implementation and duration in the Southern Plains. Most responding Commissioners considered prescribed fire to be a safe and beneficial land management tool that should be used more frequently. Self-reported familiarity with prescribed fire was the most significant explanatory variable for this attitude. Further, familiarity with prescribed fire was positively correlated with respondent participation in or being invited to participate in a prescribed fire. Such invitations came mostly from private landowners. Landowners wishing to use prescribed fire may benefit from building trust with local Commissioners by demonstrating they are qualified to conduct such fires safely. This can help reduce the frequency and duration of burn ban enactment by Commissioners and may increase the likelihood Commissioners will grant burn ban exemptions to qualified burn managers. Additionally, because Commissioners’ primary sources of prescribed fire information were reported to be local fire departments and emergency services, educating those entities about the benefits of prescribed fire for reducing wildfire risks could help reduce pressure on Commissioners to enact or maintain burn bans..