Nature conservation burning courses for contractors

Burning has become an ever more important tool for nature conservation work within both forestry and the conservation of nature reserves. But there is a risk of the ecological balance being negatively affected if it is not done properly.

The Swedish Forest Agency has provided money from the countryside programme's competence development fund for a two year project to increase the level of competence regarding fire and burning. The project is being run by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in Umeå.

Competence increase

The project will result in an improvement in the level of competence of clients and forest burning contractors as well as other entities involved in forest burning. Three training programmes of different orientation and length are being offered:

• Basic knowledge of burning with a focus on surveillance and final extinction 
• Fire and burning techniques
• Planning and management of nature conservation burning
  

The courses are free of charge and are primarily intended for independent contractors, administrators within the forest industry and state nature conservation organisations as well as municipal fire and rescue services.

In addition to the courses, two motivation seminars will be arranged, one in the north and one in the south of Sweden.

Sveaskog in the control group

Gisela Björse, nature conservation specialist at Sveaskog in the province of Götaland, is a member of the control group for the project together with seven other representatives from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency and other forestry organisations.

"This is a joint project aimed at increasing the level of competence within conservation burning for different groups: forest workers (administrators and field workers), fire and rescue services personnel and burning contractors. The training will, among other things, cover areas of responsibility, grounds for the work, permits, the general public and legislation," says Gisela Björse.

The following questions are also covered: What is the purpose of burning? How is nature conservation burning most beneficially carried out and how is maximum safety achieved? 

"We want to inform Sveaskog personnel and the contractors we engage for nature conservation burning about these courses and provide them with the opportunity to attend them in order to make burning operations as safe, effective and accepted as possible. Those wishing to register or obtain more information on the courses can do so by contacting the project manager, Anders Granström," says Gisela Björse.

Anders Granström can be contacted via Anders.Granstrom@slu.se