The perceived barriers among prescribed burn association members to burning on Kansas grasslands and Conservation Reserve Program lands

Abstract

Prescribed burning, the intentional application of fire to the landscape is used for meeting land management goals like grassland rejuvenation and nuisance species removal. While this practice is beneficial, studies in Oklahoma and Texas reveal barriers to using prescribed fire among individual land managers. Prescribed burn associations (PBAs) are collectives of landowners pooling knowledge and resources together, promoting safe burn practices and reducing many of the the barriers individual land managers otherwise face. This research examines the barriers to prescribed burning in Kansas and examines how PBA membership perceive barriers to prescribed burning on grasslands, including those enrolled in conservation lands. It advances knowledge on the diversity existing between PBAs in different Kansas ecoregions and communities. This study takes a mixed-methods approach that deploys a Qualtrics survey on Kansas PBA members as well as semi-structured key informant interviews with Kansas PBA leaders. My research also analyzes secondary survey data from landowners across the Southern Great Plains and compares their perceptions of burning on CRP to those held by Kansas PBA members. Overall, this research reveals similarities and differences in the perceptions of barriers faced by PBAs in prescribed burning and identifies drought, social perceptions, and liability as inhibitors of PBA prescribed fire application. Designing policy to better support burning in dry conditions and PBA activity and promoting gross negligence liability may help address these barriers to PBAs and increase the use of prescribed fire across Kansas.