The Matador Wildlife Management Area will be holding a Prescribed Fire Field Day on Friday, July 19, 2024, from 9 am to 4 p.m.
Indoor presentations will be held during the morning session at the Paducah Housing Authority Community Center located at 711 Richards St., Paducah. Outdoor demonstrations will begin afterwards at the Matador Wildlife Management Area, 3036 FM 3256, Paducah.
Hunter Hopkins, wildlife biologist and assistant area manager at the Matador Wildlife Management Area, said that the purpose of this event is to share the information related to the utilization of prescribed fire for brush management, wildfire mitigation, and overall health of the region’s historic grassland ecosystem and to provide this information to the land managers who take care of such landscapes.
Presentations will include topics related to property management, plant and wildlife responses to fire, grazing management, landowner assistance programs and a dedicated question and answer roundtable.
Outdoor demonstrations will include a showcase of prescribed fire equipment, a prescribed burn demonstration (weather permitting), and a tour of the Matador Wildlife Management Area. Attendees that desire to participate in the prescribed burn demonstration should bring appropriate personal protection equipment including long sleeved shirts, pants, gloves, and closed toed shoes, each of which made of fire-resistant materials such as cotton, leather, and other fire-rated products. Participants with long hair should bring items to tie hair back or up. Six continuing fire training credits (CFT’s) will be provided to attendees who desire such credits for attending this event.
Lunch will be catered at the Paducah Housing Authority Community Center and is donated by Quail Forever. The cost associated with this event is $10 and participants must pre-register for this event by Monday, July 15, 2024. Pre-registration can be completed online, by mail, or in-person at the Cottle County AgriLife Extension Office. For further questions, or to complete your registration, contact Hunter Hopkins at (806) 4923405 or the Cottle County Agrilife Extension Office at (806) 492-3151.
