West Texas Rangelands
West Texas RangelandsWe hope to provide a variety of science-based rangeland information and current research on prescribed fire, wildfires, brush management, and grazing management!

A Prescribed Fire Checklist Producers Can Use to Reduce Risk and Improve Outcomes

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Prescribed fire is one of the most effective tools available to West Texas producers for managing brush, improving forage availability, and maintaining healthier rangelands. When applied intentionally and under the right conditions, fire can support long‑term land productivity and resilience. However, prescribed fire is not something to approach casually. Careful planning and preparation are essential to reduce risk and protect people, property, and natural resources.

The Prescribed Fire Checklist developed for West Texas Rangelands is designed to help producers think through key considerations before lighting a match. It is not a substitute for training or professional guidance, but it can serve as a quick planning reminder that supports safer and more deliberate decision-making.

Why a Checklist Matters on Working Ranches

Producers often manage prescribed fire alongside many other responsibilities, from livestock care to weather decisions and labor coordination. In that context, it is easy to overlook small details that can quickly become big problems. A checklist helps ensure that critical issues like weather, smoke management, crew readiness, and emergency planning are addressed upfront rather than in the middle of a burn.

Using a checklist also supports communication. When everyone involved understands the plan, their roles, and what conditions need to be met, prescribed fire becomes more organized and less stressful.

Equipment and Readiness

One of the first sections of the checklist focuses on equipment. This includes ensuring crew members have proper personal protective equipment, vehicles and tools are fueled and operational, and water sources are available for resupply.

For producers, this is a reminder that prescribed fire relies on functional equipment and trained people. Breakdowns during a burn can create unnecessary risk. Taking time ahead of the burn to confirm equipment readiness can help avoid rushed decisions under pressure.

Weather and On‑Site Monitoring

Weather is one of the most critical factors in prescribed fire success. Even when long‑range forecasts look favorable, conditions can change rapidly. The checklist emphasizes verifying that forecasted conditions align with the burn plan and identifying who will monitor weather on site during the burn.

For producers, this reinforces the importance of flexibility. If conditions fall outside the plan, postponing a burn is often the safest choice. Having someone dedicated to monitoring weather helps ensure decisions are based on current conditions rather than assumptions.

Smoke Awareness and Neighbor Considerations

Smoke management is a frequent concern in West Texas, especially near roads, communities, or other smoke‑sensitive areas. The checklist prompts producers to consider dispersion conditions, identify sensitive locations, notify neighbors or agencies as needed, and monitor smoke behavior throughout the burn.

Addressing smoke proactively helps protect public safety and maintain good relationships with neighbors. Communication before the burn can prevent confusion and complaints, while on‑site monitoring helps identify issues early if smoke begins moving in an unexpected direction.

Crew Roles and Communication

Prescribed fire is a team effort. The checklist highlights the importance of identifying a Burn Boss, establishing clear crew roles, ensuring everyone has a map of the burn unit, and confirming how communication will occur during the burn.

For producers who rely on family members, neighbors, or hired help, clarity matters. Everyone involved should understand their responsibilities and know who is making decisions. Clear communication reduces confusion and improves response times if conditions change.

Planning for Incidents and Emergencies

Even with careful planning, prescribed fire carries inherent risk. The checklist includes prompts related to contingency planning, first aid, hydration, and identifying a designated first responder.

These considerations are not about expecting something to go wrong, but about being prepared if it does. Planning for emergencies before a burn begins allows producers to respond more effectively and avoid delays during critical moments.

Using the Checklist as Part of a Bigger Plan

The Prescribed Fire Checklist is most effective when used alongside formal training, burn plans, and professional guidance. It works well as a final review tool before a burn or as a discussion guide when coordinating with a prescribed burn association or trained professionals.

For producers interested in using fire more intentionally on their operations, tools like this checklist support thoughtful preparation and safer outcomes.

Prescribed fire remains a powerful land management tool in West Texas. Taking time to review the basics before each burn helps producers protect what they are working to improve.

Winter Weather Outlook, Drought Update, and Looking Forward

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West Texas Rangelands would like to extend our gratitude to Mr. Luke Drosche for collaborating with us and providing this weather update for our readers.  We thank him for sharing his time, talents, and knowledge with us as a guest contributor.  Luke serves with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service as the DAR Recovery Coordinator and State Operations Liasson.  

3-Month Precipitation Outlook

Hit and miss rain with a cool down has allowed our state to feel more like fall.  We are expected to move into a more active weather pattern as upper-level winds will shift southward and act as a conveyor belt to send moisture over Texas.  All of Texas is in a “Leaning Above” category for the odds of getting above average rainfall for November, December, and January.  El Nino has more effects on our winter weather than our summer weather.  Meaning we will now look to really dig into the active weather pattern with more systems expected for the next 3 months into spring.

3-Month Temperature Outlook

Last month when I wrote this outlook it was 98F outside.  We have thankfully had the first strong cold front of the season that will most likely keep the state below 90 for the season.  This tracks with our 3-month outlook from NOAA as they are predicting equal chances of marking barely above or barely below average.  Seasonal temperatures are expected along with cool downs accompanying more frequent weather systems.  During El Ninos, it is warmer closer to the U.S. and Canada Border.  This is where some of our arctic fronts have come from in the past.  Since this air is warmer over the winter, we are less likely to see long periods of those frigid temperatures.  Texas is more likely to see quick cool downs followed by seasonal temperatures over the winter.  Some snow and winter storms are absolutely possible this winter, however there is less probability for those arctic air masses to make it down to us.

Drought Update:

Some improvement for West Texas since last month’s update as El Paso is in no Drought Designation.  Just this summer we kept El Paso and surrounding parts of Far West Texas in the more severe Drought Categories, now it is in no Dryness classification.  All of Texas is down from an 84% drought coverage to 70%. Both Extreme and Exceptional categories are down as well.  A majority of the Panhandle is looking better, yet a band of Extreme Drought remains.  The Valley has seen some easement and the dryness has shifted north of where it was at the time of the last update.  We have seen East Texas drying out a bit, which has sparked some fire weather concerns.  I expect this map to look much better after November with benefits from a more active weather pattern.  We should see most of the state receive rainfall and along with this, decreasing areas of drought.

Looking Forward:

As we move into our cooler months and with our El Nino backed increased rainfall, we begin to wonder, what comes next?  According to the long-term ENSO Probabilities forecast from NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, we look to remain in El Nino’s grasp until next April/March.  This is when we see long-term models trending away from El Nino and into a Neutral Period.  It is very important to note here that La Nina probabilities, while low, are beginning to show themselves.  La Nina means drier conditions for our state.  While we are not predicted to be in La Nina at this time, we are noticing the increasing chances of beginning next summer.

Enjoy the much-needed cooler temperatures and increased rainfall chances.  We have been awaiting a weather pattern shift and are now finally feeling its effects.  This is the time to make your winter preparations for your operation.  Learn from our past winter storms and if you need assistance, reach out to your local county AgriLife Agent or myself.  Stay safe and enjoy the weather my friends.

*https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/

*https://www.drought.gov/states/texas

*https://iri.columbia.edu/our-expertise/climate/forecasts/enso/current/

A Year Worth Celebrating – Texas Section Society for Range Management

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The annual Texas Section Society for Range Management meeting is an opportunity to bring together the people behind Texas rangelands, from landowners and Extension professionals to researchers, students, industry partners, and natural resource managers. This year’s meeting was especially meaningful for Team Treadwell, with members, students, collaborators, and partners recognized across an incredible range of awards and competitions.

These honors represent much more than individual accomplishments. Collectively, they highlight the value of applied research, Extension education, land stewardship, collaboration, and investing in the next generation of rangeland professionals. From working ranches to graduate research, the common thread is putting good rangeland science into practice.

Outstanding Achievement Award: Dr. Morgan Treadwell

Dr. Morgan Treadwell received the TSSRM Outstanding Achievement Award, one of the award categories formally recognized by the Texas Section Society for Range Management.

This recognition reflects her commitment that extends across research, teaching, Extension, prescribed fire, grazing management, and producer education. Dr. Treadwell’s work centers on translating rangeland science into practical information and management strategies that landowners and natural resource professionals can put to work on Texas rangelands. As a master of her craft, Dr. Treadwell continues to serve a a recognized leader in Texas and beyond as she passion for resilient rangelands fuels her quest for supporting

That approach is also at the heart of West Texas Rangelands: connecting people with research, resources, and practical management tools while creating opportunities for students and young professionals to learn alongside producers and experienced practitioners.

Outstanding Young Range Professional: Dr. DeAnn Burson

Dr. DeAnn Burson was recognized as the Outstanding Young Range Professional. This award category is designed to recognize achievement among emerging range professionals and is part of the official TSSRM awards program.

Recognizing young professionals is particularly important to the future of range management. Today’s challenges, including drought, woody plant encroachment, wildfire, changing land ownership, and increasingly complex production systems, require professionals capable of connecting sound science with real-world management. Developing that next generation of leadership strengthens not only the profession, but also the producers and landowners it serves.

Grassroots Award: Extension Agent: Raymond Quigg

We could not be more proud to help recognize Raymond Quigg for his incredible service as a steward for rangeland management. Raymond brings 27 years of experience to supporting landowners, ranchers, and rangelands, building resilience with with every conversation he has.

County Extension professionals serve an important role in rangeland management. They connect university research with local needs, bring producers and specialists together, organize educational programs, and often become the first call when landowners encounter a new challenge. Recognition at the grassroots level reinforces that meaningful Extension work starts with listening to people on the ground and developing education around the challenges they actually face.

Outstanding Contribution to Range Management: Rob Cook, Bamert Seed

Rob Cook of Bamert Seed received the Outstanding Contribution to Range Management Award. The Texas Section Society for Range Management maintains Outstanding Contribution to Rangeland Management as one of its official award categories.

Healthy rangelands depend on partnerships that extend beyond any one university, agency, business, or ranch. Industry professionals contribute technical knowledge, innovative products, native plant expertise, and long-term relationships with producers. Recognition of those contributions highlights just how collaborative successful range management really is.

Outstanding Rangeland Stewardship: Buchholz Ranches

Perhaps nowhere is the connection between science and practice clearer than on the ranch. Buchholz Ranches received the TSSRM Outstanding Rangeland Stewardship Award, an official award category recognizing rangeland stewardship.

Landowners are ultimately the people making management decisions on the ground. Grazing strategies, drought decisions, brush management, wildlife habitat, prescribed fire, soil health, and generational planning all come together at the ranch level. Recognizing outstanding stewardship celebrates not only what a property looks like today, but the long-term commitment required to leave functioning rangelands for the next generation.

Turning Applied Research Into Award-Winning Communication

The West Texas Rangelands team also received recognition in communicating rangeland science. “Creating Firebreaks with Targeted Grazing: A Comprehensive Approach to Wildfire Mitigation and Prescribed Fire Management”, by Chase Brooke, Haley Gosnell, Sarah Robinson, David Brooke, and Morgan L. Treadwell, received the 2026 Popular Article Award.

This recognition speaks directly to the purpose behind Extension communication. Research creates the greatest impact when producers and land managers can understand it, evaluate it, and determine how it might apply to their own operations. The article connects targeted grazing with wildfire mitigation and prescribed fire management, bringing together two important tools for creating more resilient working rangelands.

The Next Generation Steps Up: 3 Minute Thesis Competition

West Texas Rangelands graduate student success was another highlight of the meeting. Hayden Webb earned first place in the TSSRM Three Minute Thesis Competition for a presentation examining the bud bank dynamics of King Ranch bluestem and how active, dormant, and dead buds influence plant persistence and recovery on Texas rangelands.

The Three Minute Thesis format presents a unique challenge. Participants must take complex graduate research and communicate its importance clearly and effectively in only a few minutes. Those communication skills are essential in Extension and natural resource management, where scientific information must ultimately connect with the people making decisions on the rangeland.

Jacob Court placed third in the TSSRM Three Minute Thesis Competition with a presentation highlighting a case study series examining how West Texas ranchers adapt and make management decisions under long-term drought conditions.

That research addresses one of the defining realities of ranching in West Texas. Drought management is rarely about a single decision or season. Understanding how ranchers adjust stocking, grazing, forage resources, and other management strategies over time can provide valuable insight into building more resilient operations.

Together, Hayden and Jacob’s achievements reflect the value of conducting research that is scientifically rigorous while remaining connected to real challenges facing Texas rangelands.

More Than Awards

Seven distinct recognitions spanning stewardship, professional achievement, Extension, industry partnership, applied communication, and student research make this an exceptional year for West Texas Rangelands leaders, students, partners, and friends. More importantly, the breadth of these honors tells a bigger story.

Successful rangeland management requires landowners willing to steward the resource, professionals willing to serve, researchers asking relevant questions, Extension educators translating science, industry partners contributing expertise, and students preparing to carry the work forward. Those pieces are strongest when they work together.

West Texas Rangelands is incredibly proud to celebrate the members, students, collaborators, producers, and partners represented among this year’s honorees. Their accomplishments reflect what Extension and rangeland management are ultimately about: people working together to turn knowledge into action and leave Texas rangelands more productive, resilient, and sustainable for the generations that follow.

Congratulations to everyone recognized at this year’s Texas Section Society for Range Management meeting.

Learn More

Explore the award categories and recognition programs through the Texas Section Society for Range Management Awards.

Fire and Wildlife: Building Better Habitat on Texas Rangelands

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Guest Collaborator – Mr. Cooper Caswell, Undergraduate Student Angelo State University 

Fire has historically been a threat to wildlife; however, it is a widely proven fact that one of the most beneficial tools available in Texas rangelands to create improved wildlife habitat is the use of prescribed fire. Natural wildfires and fire utilized by Indigenous peoples created grassland habitat for millennia before the widespread practice of fire suppression and removed encroaching woody species, recycled nutrients, and stimulated grass and plant growth-the species on which native wildlife are accustomed to feed. Today, years of fire suppression have permitted the spread of invasive woody species over millions of Texas acres; the result: dense woody cover limits native grass and food production, creating an unsuitable habitat for many species.

Carefully designed prescribed burns bring back open grasslands, a diversity of plant life, and healthy ecosystem support for livestock and wildlife alike.

Benefits of Fire to Wildlife

When managed carefully, a fire seldom kills any wildlife animals directly-they tend to avoid flames or seek refuge in underground burrows, tree roots, or within unburned vegetation. While habitat loss occurs in burned patches temporarily, post-rain regrowth of green, young vegetation encourages insects, small mammals, birds, and larger grazing animals alike. The greatest ecological benefit of a burn is diversity. It creates a mosaic effect of burned and unburned portions of the landscape, providing a mix of food and habitat opportunities to attract and sustain a number of animal species.

Wildlife Responses to Prescribed Fire

Effects vary by species, but fire tends to benefit most species.

Small mammal impacts from the fire itself are generally insignificant, but increases in their availability and a surge in their populations follow as a new bounty of young plants provides an abundance of food. Numerous bird species are especially positively affected by a burn. Bobwhite quail-a grassland bird preferring a diverse mixture of open, shrubby habitats-may feed in recently burned patches, while relying on adjacent woody cover and trees for nesting and roosting opportunities. Wild Turkey may also forage in burned areas but look to the nearby trees for cover. Small songbirds can also benefit from an increase in insects and a more desirable, nutritious habitat for nesting and food. For many large mammals, like white-tailed deer, pronghorn antelope, and mule deer, improved habitat is an important benefit of fire.

After a fire, the nutritious green forage regrows rapidly, providing readily available food resources. With nearby areas of remaining trees and shrubs providing food and shelter, edges created between burned and unburned areas become feeding zones and bedding locations. Amphibians and reptiles, so long as appropriate conditions exist at the time of burn, generally tolerate a fire quite well; many research efforts demonstrate a variety of amphibian and reptile species are often maintained or enhanced on fire-managed landscapes.

A prescribed fire needs careful planning. A successful fire utilizes the best timing, weather conditions, vegetation type, soil type, fuel levels, and species of interest to ensure success. Burning rotational segments of a ranch allows ample time for vegetation to recover between burns and for animals to use burned as well as nonburned areas.

The impact of fire multiplies when paired with good livestock grazing management, which encourages and utilizes new grass growth, forcing grazing and allowing remaining vegetation to grow.

Management for Healthy Landscapes

Wildlife habitat fluctuates; management strategies must be in place for productive rangelands. Prescribed burning returns nutrients to the soil, removes fuel for more damaging wildfires, and promotes the growth of productive native vegetation, vital for ecosystem health.

A burn plan combined with a grazing management plan on your property will ensure healthy, diverse, and resilient ecosystems for years to come.

Source: https://agrilife.org/westtexasrangelands/files/2023/08/Effects-of-fire-on-wildlife.pdf

Data Centers and Rural Landscapes: What Landowners and Communities Should Consider

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Across Texas, conversations about rural growth increasingly include a new type of development: data centers. Driven by advances in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and digital infrastructure, data centers are expanding into communities well beyond traditional urban areas. While these facilities can bring economic opportunities, they also raise important questions about land use, water resources, energy demand, and compatibility with surrounding agricultural landscapes.

A recent white paper from Mike Turner, Vice Chair of the Loudoun County, Virginia Board of Supervisors, outlines key considerations for communities evaluating data center development. While the report focuses on one of the nation’s largest data center regions, many of the issues discussed are highly relevant to Texas communities where working lands, natural resources, and rural quality of life are important considerations.

Why Data Centers Are Expanding Into Rural Areas

Modern data centers require large amounts of land, reliable electric infrastructure, and access to communication networks. Rural areas often offer available acreage and fewer development constraints than urban locations. As a result, communities that have traditionally been dominated by agriculture, ranching, and natural resource industries may increasingly find themselves evaluating proposals for data center projects.

For landowners and local leaders, these developments can present both opportunities and challenges. Understanding the potential impacts before projects are approved can help communities make informed decisions about long-term land use and resource management.

Beyond Buildings: Looking at Resource Demands

One of the key themes emphasized in the Loudoun County guidance is that data centers are more than large buildings. Their operation depends on substantial supporting infrastructure, particularly energy and water resources. The report recommends requiring clear documentation regarding projected electricity demands, transmission needs, substations, and long-term utility requirements before projects move forward.

This is particularly relevant in many parts of Texas where electric infrastructure already serves agricultural operations, rural communities, and growing populations. Large industrial power users can influence future infrastructure investments and may affect how utility systems expand over time.

The report also recommends understanding how much water a facility will use annually, what cooling systems will be utilized, and whether potable or reclaimed water sources will be required. These considerations are especially important in areas where water availability is already a concern.

Water Matters in Texas

For those involved in agriculture and rangeland management, water is often at the center of long-term planning discussions. Whether managing livestock, wildlife habitat, or forage production, water availability influences virtually every aspect of land stewardship.

The Loudoun County recommendations encourage communities to evaluate cooling technologies, water sources, and wastewater treatment requirements before approving development. Understanding these needs allows communities to better assess whether existing infrastructure can support future demands and whether additional resource pressures may emerge. https://www.loudoun.gov/DocumentCenter/View/217610/15-Best-Practices-for-Communities-Considering-Data-Centers?bidId=

In Texas, where drought planning and water conservation remain ongoing priorities, these questions become especially important when evaluating new large-scale developments.

Considering Compatibility with Working Lands

Many Texas counties are working to maintain productive farms, ranches, and open spaces while accommodating growth. From a rangeland stewardship perspective, one of the most important questions is whether a proposed use is compatible with surrounding rangeland uses and long-term community goals.

The Loudoun County recommendations suggest incorporating performance standards into land-use plans and zoning regulations rather than allowing projects to proceed automatically. The report also highlights setbacks, screening, landscaping, and design considerations that can influence the visual impacts of large facilities.

For communities adjacent to working lands, these discussions extend beyond aesthetics. Development decisions can influence land values, infrastructure demands, wildlife movement, and future land-use patterns.

Noise, Light, and Community Impacts

Another topic addressed in the report is operational impacts. Data centers can generate continuous equipment noise, require backup power systems, and contribute to light pollution depending on facility design and operation. The guidance recommends conducting both pre- and post-construction noise studies and establishing clear performance standards to address potential concerns.

For rural residents accustomed to quieter environments, these considerations may significantly influence perceptions of compatibility and quality of life. Understanding potential impacts before construction begins can help communities address concerns proactively rather than reactively.

Balancing Economic Opportunities and Resource Stewardship

The report notes that data centers can provide substantial tax revenue, support local initiatives, create construction jobs, and often have relatively low demands on schools and transportation infrastructure compared to some other forms of development. At the same time, the report identifies concerns related to power consumption, water use, transmission infrastructure, noise, and visual impacts.

This balance between economic opportunity and resource stewardship is not unique to data centers. It mirrors many of the conversations occurring across Texas as communities consider how best to accommodate growth while preserving the natural resources and working landscapes that define their region.

Planning Before Growth Occurs

Perhaps the most important takeaway from the white paper is the importance of planning before development proposals arrive. Land-use plans, zoning ordinances, and infrastructure evaluations are most effective when they provide clear guidance in advance rather than responding after major projects are proposed. The report recommends ensuring that land-use plans address data center performance standards and that zoning regulations align with those goals.

For Texas communities, this proactive approach can help create a framework for evaluating future developments while protecting local priorities related to agriculture, water resources, wildlife habitat, and rural quality of life.

Looking Ahead

As demand for digital infrastructure continues to grow, more rural communities will likely encounter discussions about data center development. Whether a community views these facilities as opportunities, challenges, or some combination of both, understanding their potential impacts is critical.

For landowners, natural resource professionals, and local decision-makers, the conversation should extend beyond the facility footprint itself. Questions about water, energy, land use, infrastructure, and long-term community goals all deserve consideration. Thoughtful planning today can help ensure that future development aligns with the values and resources that make Texas working lands so important.

Original Source

This article was inspired by “15 Best Practices for Communities Considering Data Centers”, published by the Loudoun County, Virginia Board of Supervisors, May 2026. The document outlines key considerations related to noise, power, water, emissions, setbacks, and community planning for data center development.

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Building Fire Capacity Before the Next Burn: New Continuing Fire Training Course Supports Prescribed Fire Practitioners

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Across Texas, prescribed fire continues to play an important role in rangeland management, wildlife habitat improvement, fuel reduction, and ecosystem health. As the use of prescribed fire expands, so does the need for ongoing training that helps practitioners stay current on regulations, safety considerations, and evolving best management practices.

Building fire capacity requires more than favorable weather and burn objectives. It depends on well-trained practitioners who understand the science, planning, and execution behind successful prescribed fire programs. An updated online continuing fire training course is designed to help prescribed fire practitioners, natural resource professionals, and land managers stay current on best practices while earning six hours of continuing fire training. The course also fulfills continuing education requirements for Texas Certified and Insured Prescribed Burn Managers.

Why Continuing Fire Training Matters
Prescribed fire is one of the most effective land management tools available to Texas landowners. When applied under appropriate conditions, fire can help manage brush encroachment, improve forage production, enhance wildlife habitat, reduce wildfire fuel loads, and maintain healthy rangeland ecosystems.

Like any management practice, however, prescribed burning requires planning, preparation, and ongoing professional development. Regulations evolve, new technologies become available, and lessons learned from burn programs across the state continue to improve how practitioners approach fire management.

Continuing education helps ensure prescribed fire practitioners remain informed about current standards while strengthening their ability to safely and effectively apply fire on the landscape.

Training Designed for Real-World Application
One strength of this updated course is its focus on practical topics prescribed fire practitioners encounter in the field. The program covers a range of subjects that support planning, implementation, and risk management throughout the prescribed burn process. Course modules include laws and regulations, smoke management, fuel load estimation, contingency and escape planning, prescribed burn equipment, and mapping a property for prescribed fire.

These topics represent critical components of a successful burn program and provide information that can be applied across a variety of prescribed fire objectives and operating environments.

Strengthening Prescribed Fire Capacity Across Texas
The continued growth of prescribed fire in Texas depends on more than just favorable weather conditions. It requires trained practitioners, informed landowners, and a strong network of professionals who understand both the opportunities and responsibilities associated with using fire as a management tool.

According to Morgan Treadwell, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Professor and Extension Range Specialist, the goal of the course is to provide accessible, relevant training that supports practitioners in the field. Treadwell noted that the course offers science-based information that participants can apply directly to prescribed fire planning and implementation.

This emphasis on practical application aligns with the broader effort to increase prescribed fire capacity across Texas while supporting safe and effective fire use.

Making Professional Development More Accessible
One challenge many fire practitioners face is balancing training requirements with professional and operational responsibilities. Online training options help make continuing education more accessible by allowing participants to complete coursework on their own schedule while still receiving high-quality instruction.

Participants who complete the course receive a certificate of completion and earn six continuing fire training hours recognized by the Texas Department of Agriculture.   For burn managers seeking to maintain certification, as well as natural resource professionals interested in strengthening their understanding of prescribed fire, the course offers a convenient way to stay current while investing in professional development.

Investing in the Future of Good Fire
Effective prescribed fire programs depend on knowledgeable practitioners who understand both the science and application of fire. As Texas continues to address challenges related to woody plant encroachment, wildfire risk, forage management, and ecosystem resilience, continued investment in training will remain an important part of the solution.

Prescribed fire has long been a cornerstone of rangeland stewardship. Building the skills and knowledge of those who use it helps ensure that fire remains a safe, effective, and sustainable management tool for years to come.

Learn More
The updated Continuing Prescribed Fire Training course is available through Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. The six-hour self-paced course meets continuing fire training requirements for Texas Certified and Insured Prescribed Burn Managers and is available for registration at Updated Continuing Fire Training Course.

Burning From the Ground Up: How Prescribed Burn Associations Are Expanding Fire Across the Great Plains

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Prescribed fire has long been one of the most effective tools for managing woody plant encroachment, improving wildlife habitat, enhancing forage production, and reducing wildfire risk. Yet for many landowners, implementing prescribed fire can seem out of reach due to concerns about labor, equipment, experience, liability, and planning requirements.

Across the Great Plains, Prescribed Burn Associations (PBAs) are helping overcome those barriers through a simple but powerful concept: neighbors helping neighbors. New research published in the International Journal of Wildland Fire demonstrates that these landowner-led organizations are expanding access to prescribed fire, building local capacity, and making meaningful contributions to rangeland stewardship across the United States.

A Movement Built by Landowners
Prescribed Burn Associations first emerged in the Great Plains in the 1990s to help ranchers gain the education, equipment, training, and support needed to safely implement prescribed fire on private lands. Since then, the model has spread nationwide, with more than 140 PBAs now operating across the country.

Unlike traditional top-down approaches, PBAs are community-led organizations that bring together landowners, volunteers, and natural resource professionals to share knowledge, labor, equipment, and experience. These local networks help reduce costs, increase confidence, and provide opportunities for people to gain hands-on experience using prescribed fire.

The impact of these organizations continues to grow. Survey responses from PBAs across the United States showed that associations collectively conduct an average of 660 prescribed burns across 84,508 acres annually, mobilizing thousands of volunteers to restore fire to ecosystems where it has historically been excluded.

Infographic titled "The Structure and Impact of Great Plains Prescribed Burn Associations" showing survey results, statistics on prescribed burns, and information on managing invasive species. [Read more…] about Burning From the Ground Up: How Prescribed Burn Associations Are Expanding Fire Across the Great Plains

Juniper Management on Texas Rangelands

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Article written by Jacob Court
West Texas Rangelands Intern
Graduate Student – Texas A&M University

With the widespread issue of woody encroachment on the Texas rangelands, the proper management of juniper is crucial. Unfortunately, due to overgrazing and poor land management, much of our rangelands have already been taken over by large juniper trees.

Prescribed fire is a great method to manage juniper when it is utilized correctly. One thing to note is that some juniper like Alligator Juniper (J. deppeana) and Redberry Juniper (J. pinchottii) can resprout from a bud bank beneath the surface. These bud banks make plants more resilient to the effects of burning; although fire can help to kill smaller trees, higher-intensity fires can work to kill larger trees. Even so, other management methods may be more effectively used to try and kill these resprouters. For non-resprouting trees, fire is an effective method throughout the early life cycles. Often, conducting growing season fires will help kill seedlings, preventing more growth while also helping to kill any larger trees. Like with the resprouting trees, more intense fire might be necessary for the removal of any larger non-sprouting trees, and the concern of them recovering from that damage is much less.

A great way to create these high-intensity fires is with the cut-and-stuff method. The idea behind this method is to cut branches off (or gather other fuels) and pile them underneath large juniper trees. This creates a continuous ladder of fuel all the way up the tree. Utilizing this method solves both of the two main issues when trying to burn larger trees: a lack of fuel to catch the tree on fire and not having flames long enough to burn the branches. By letting the flames climb this fuel ladder, we can successfully ignite the entire tree, greatly increasing the effectiveness of our prescribed fire. Some more things to consider when trying to burn juniper are waiting for the fuel beneath the tree to dry out so that it ignites and burns more effectively. It’s also important to put the fuel beneath the upwind side of the tree as this allows the majority of the fire to be blown into the main part of the tree instead of away from it.

While prescribed fire is a great method of juniper control, the implementation of grazing alongside burning can increase the overall effectiveness. Goats are especially good in this sense, as they will target the high-quality new growth from these juniper trees post-fire. The idea behind this method is to have fires in an area to kill off large swaths of juniper and then have the goats graze it afterward. Fire will kill the aboveground sections, allowing for new plants to sprout. Then the goats can target these sprouts, preventing any large-scale regrowth from happening. The utilization of pyric herbivory in this manner is cost-effective and will work for a variety of situations. One issue is still the management of the larger and more developed juniper trees. In these cases, chemical or mechanical methods may be the best strategy.

References
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Managing Texas Juniper with Prescribed Burning
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Managing Juniper (Cedar) with Goats
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service- Cut and Stuff Practices for Enhancing Cedar Control with Prescribed Fire

Making the Most of Every Bite: How Goats and Cattle Complement One Another on Texas Rangelands

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Across much of Texas, producers are continually looking for ways to improve forage utilization, increase ranch productivity, and manage woody plant encroachment without sacrificing livestock performance. While cattle are the foundation of many ranching operations, growing evidence suggests that adding small ruminants such as goats can provide benefits that extend beyond simply adding another revenue stream.

Research conducted in the Cross Timbers region found that cattle and goats utilize available plants very differently throughout the year, allowing them to occupy distinct feeding niches on the same landscape. The study demonstrated that goats consumed substantially more woody vegetation and forbs than cattle, while cattle relied more heavily on grasses and legumes. This dietary separation is one reason co-grazing systems can be so effective. Lippy et al. (2024), Journal of Animal Science 102:38-39.

Understanding the Grazing Niche
Every grazing animal has evolved to take advantage of different plant resources. Cattle are generally classified as grazers, meaning they prefer grasses and grass-like plants. Their anatomy, grazing behavior, and digestive systems are well-suited for harvesting large amounts of herbaceous forage close to the ground.

Goats, on the other hand, behave more like browsers. Rather than focusing primarily on grasses, they frequently select leaves, twigs, shrubs, vines, and broadleaf plants. Their smaller mouths and unique feeding behavior allow them to be highly selective and utilize vegetation that cattle may largely ignore.

This difference is important because rangelands rarely consist of a single plant type. A healthy landscape often contains a mixture of grasses, forbs, legumes, and woody species. When only one livestock species is present, portions of the available forage resource may remain underutilized, while preferred plants receive disproportionate grazing pressure.

Why Dietary Diversity Matters
The infographic illustrates that cattle and goats shift their diets seasonally while maintaining different forage preferences throughout the year. Those differences allow multiple livestock species to harvest forage from different parts of the plant community rather than directly competing for the same forage resources.

From a ranch management perspective, this creates opportunities to increase overall forage utilization while distributing grazing pressure across a greater variety of plant species. Instead of concentrating consumption on a narrow subset of desirable plants, co-grazing can encourage more balanced use of the landscape.

Research has shown that diverse grazing pressure can influence plant community composition over time. By incorporating animals that utilize different forage types, producers may be able to improve forage distribution and reduce the competitive advantage of less desirable species.

Managing Woody Plant Encroachment
One of the most significant rangeland challenges facing Texas is the expansion of woody plants into grass-dominated ecosystems. Species such as mesquite, juniper, and various brush species can reduce forage production, alter wildlife habitat, and impact water resources.

Traditional brush management tools remain important, but goats can serve as a valuable component of an integrated management strategy. Because goats readily consume many woody plant species, they can apply consistent browsing pressure that complements mechanical and chemical control efforts.

While goats are not a silver bullet for brush management, their dietary preferences allow them to target vegetation that cattle generally avoid. Over time, this additional grazing pressure can help suppress regrowth and provide another tool for managing woody plant expansion.

Improving Drought Resilience
Diverse grazing systems may also improve flexibility during variable forage conditions.

Texas producers are no strangers to drought. During dry periods, forage availability often changes rapidly. Some plant groups decline earlier than others, and livestock that can utilize a broader range of available vegetation may offer additional management options.

Because goats and cattle respond differently to changing forage conditions, co-grazing can help producers access forage resources across multiple plant communities. This flexibility can be particularly valuable when environmental conditions limit the growth of preferred forage species.

Maintaining diverse plant communities and utilizing multiple grazing niches can contribute to the overall resilience of both livestock operations and the rangelands on which they depend.

Looking Beyond Production
The benefits of co-grazing extend beyond forage utilization alone. Many producers find that incorporating multiple livestock species supports broader ranch objectives, including:

  • Improved use of available forage resources
  • Increased management flexibility
  • Enhanced brush management efforts
  • Diversified income opportunities
  • More balanced grazing pressure across plant communities
  • Potential improvements in rangeland condition over time

As with any management practice, successful implementation depends on factors such as fencing, predator management, labor availability, marketing opportunities, and operation-specific goals. However, understanding how different livestock species interact with vegetation can help producers make informed management decisions.

A Rangeland Perspective
One of the most important lessons from this research is that livestock should not simply be viewed as consumers of forage. Different animal species interact with rangelands in unique ways, creating opportunities for managers to influence plant communities through grazing management.

The differences highlighted in the infographic demonstrate why co-grazing has become an important consideration for many Texas producers. By combining grazers and browsers, ranchers may be able to utilize more of the available forage base, address vegetation management challenges, and support healthier, more resilient rangelands.

When cattle and goats are allowed to do what they naturally do best, the result is often a more efficient use of the landscape and a management approach that works with ecological processes rather than against them.

 

Texas Working Lands: What Land Fragmentation Means for the Future of Texas Rangelands

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Texas is known for its wide-open spaces, productive ranches, working farms, and privately owned forests. These working lands support agricultural production, wildlife habitat, water resources, recreation, and rural economies across the state. Today, approximately 139 million acres, or 81% of Texas, remain in privately owned working lands, making private land stewardship one of the most important factors shaping the future of Texas natural resources.

A recent article from the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute highlights a growing challenge facing these landscapes: land fragmentation. Using an updated Texas Land Trends Fragmentation Risk Map, researchers identified areas where farms, ranches, and forests may be most vulnerable to subdivision and conversion in the future. While growth and development are a natural part of a thriving state, understanding where these changes are occurring can help landowners, communities, and conservation partners make informed decisions about the future of Texas working lands.

What Is Land Fragmentation?
Land fragmentation occurs when large properties are divided into smaller ownership parcels, often leading to conversion from agricultural uses to residential, commercial, or other non-agricultural development. While an individual subdivision may seem insignificant on its own, the cumulative impact can fundamentally alter rural landscapes. Fragmentation can reduce the viability of agricultural operations, disrupt wildlife habitat, increase management challenges, and limit opportunities for landscape-scale conservation efforts.

The Texas Land Trends program points to several interconnected drivers of fragmentation, including rapid population growth, rising land values, and changing ownership patterns. As urban areas continue to expand outward, demand for nearby rural land increases. Higher land values can create incentives to subdivide property or convert working lands to other uses, particularly in areas experiencing development pressure.

Texas Continues to Grow
The pressures contributing to fragmentation are closely tied to Texas’ remarkable growth. Between 1997 and 2022, the state’s population increased from 19 million to 30 million residents, a 55% increase. More than 1.7 million people were added during the most recent five-year period alone. The majority of that growth occurred within counties surrounding major metropolitan areas, particularly within the Texas Triangle that connects Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio.

The updated Fragmentation Risk Map reflects these growth patterns, showing elevated fragmentation risk in many counties surrounding major population centers and transportation corridors. The map serves as a decision-support tool that helps identify where future conversion and subdivision pressures may be greatest.

Why This Matters for Texas Rangelands
For ranchers and landowners, fragmentation is about much more than changing property boundaries. Large, intact ranches provide the scale necessary to support productive livestock operations, functioning watersheds, connected wildlife habitat, and many of the conservation practices that sustain healthy rangelands.

Landscape-scale management approaches such as prescribed fire, invasive species control, brush management, wildlife habitat conservation, and grazing management often depend on cooperation across large areas. As ownerships become smaller and more fragmented, coordinating these efforts can become increasingly difficult. Fragmentation can also contribute to habitat fragmentation, increased infrastructure development, and reduced opportunities for long-term stewardship of natural resources.

These challenges are particularly important in Texas, where privately owned lands provide the vast majority of wildlife habitat and support many of the ecosystem services that benefit all Texans.

The Numbers Tell an Important Story
According to the latest Texas Land Trends report, the state lost nearly 3.7 million acres of working lands to non-agricultural uses between 1997 and 2022. More than 1.8 million acres were lost during the most recent five-year reporting period alone. Grazing lands have experienced some of the largest declines, with approximately 6.7 million acres converted to other uses since 1997.

These figures highlight the importance of understanding where future changes may occur and why proactive planning matters. Conservation efforts, succession planning, educational outreach, and support for working lands all play a role in maintaining the farms and ranches that contribute to Texas’ agricultural heritage and economic strength.

Looking Ahead
The updated Texas Land Trends Fragmentation Risk Map is not intended to predict the future with certainty. Instead, it provides a valuable lens through which landowners, conservation organizations, and communities can better understand ongoing changes and identify areas where proactive conversations may be needed. By understanding fragmentation trends today, Texans can make more informed decisions about the stewardship of working lands tomorrow.

As Texas continues to grow, the challenge will be finding ways to balance development with the conservation of the farms, ranches, and forests that define the state’s landscape. The future of Texas rangelands depends not only on how we manage the land, but also on how we retain the large, connected working landscapes that make effective stewardship possible.

Original Source: This article was adapted from “Updated Texas Land Trends map shows where working lands face growing fragmentation risk” by the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute. Readers can view the original article and explore additional Texas Land Trends resources through the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute.