Annual Conference 2026

We are excited to announce the dates for our next PA Prescribed Fire Council Meeting/Conference,
January 28th and 29th, 2026 at the Wyndham Garden in Boalsburg, PA.
An outdoor location undergoing a prescribed burn

Join Us

Each year, the Pennsylvania Prescribed Fire Council holds an Annual Meeting, typically near the end of January, to discuss timely issues and prepare for the upcoming season.

Come learn and network with fellow fire professionals about issues affecting Pennsylvania and beyond. We do our best to provide opportunities, ask questions and socialize with other managers, researchers and prescribed fire enthusiasts.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Theme: Expanding our Knowledge and Use of Prescribed Fire

Wednesday, January 28, 2026

1000–1200 Registration
1200–1215 Meeting Opener, logistics – Josh Fuqua (PGC)
1215–1230 Agency Updates, Election details – Todd Breininger (DCNR)
1230–1300 Dew Points Bombs and National Weather Service Agency Updates – Nicholas Beaty (National Weather Service)

1305–1335 Timber Rattlesnakes & Box Turtle Study with Prescribed Fire – Chris Urban (PFBC) and Tom LaDuke (East Stroudsburg University)
1340–1410 Vegetation Response to Fire Seasonality – Maya Lapp (University of Tennessee)
1410–1440 Break
1440–1510 Good Fire, Strong Communities: Organizing PBA’s with Technical Excellence and Local Engagement – Kyle Magdziuk (Tall Timbers)
1515–1545 Evaluating the Use of Prescribed Fire to Reduce Environmental Contamination by Raccoon Roundworm in Allegheny Woodrat Habitat – Chris Hauer (PA Dept. Military & Veteran Affairs, FIG)
1550–1650 Burn Unit Layout – Panel Discussion – Mike DiRinaldo (DCNR–State Parks), Neil Itle (PGC), Pat McElhenny (TNC), and Brent McNeal (PGC)
1700–1900 Social

Thursday, January 29, 2026

0800–0815 Election Results – Jeremy Dayhoff (DCNR)
0820–0850 Recent Wildfires in Pennsylvania – Todd Breininger (DCNR)
0855–0925 Restoring Old Field Habitat and Northern Bobwhite in Pennsylvania Through Habitat Management and Translocation – Andrew Ward (PGC), Eric Horsh (PF)
0930–1000 Pyrohealth Synchrony: Integrating Wildland Fire into One Health to Benefit Plants, Animals, Ecosystems, and People – Dr. Andrew L. Vander Yacht (SUNY ESF)
1000–1015 Break
1015–1040 Fire and Herbicide as Complementary Tools for Habitat Management – Dr. Will Gulsby (Auburn University)
1045–1145 Certified Prescribed Burn Manager Program Inaugural Students’ Experiences – Panel Discussion – Bob Andrews, Craig Kindlin, Matt Miller, Devin Schappert
1150–1200 Fire Council Updates and Wrap-Up – Josh Fuqua (PGC)
1200–1230 Prescribed Fire Council Board Meeting

Sponsorship

Interested in Sponsoring our Annual Meeting?

Please reach out to Kip Adams with interest and any questions!

  • Regular sponsorship ($250) – Set up a table outside the main presentation room, we will mention you from the stage, and you will get inclusion and promotion in the conference program.

  • Event sponsorship ($750) – This level will support our Wednesday evening social and includes an opportunity to address the crowd at that event, sole sponsorship and advertising for the evening event, also includes all the items listed above for a regular sponsorship (table, mention from stage, inclusion in promotional materials).

Special Thanks to our Steering Committee Members!

  • Association of Consulting Foresters

  • Blooming Grove Hunt Club
  • Central Pennsylvania Conservancy
  • Longwood Gardens
  • National Deer Association
  • National Wild Turkey Federation
  • Natural Lands
  • Natural Resource Conservation Service
  • PA DCNR Bureau of Forestry
  • PA DCNR Bureau of State Parks
  • PA Department of Environmental Protection
  • PA Dept of Military and Veterans Affairs
  • PA Game Commission
  • Penn State University, Dept. of Ecosystem Science & Management
  • Pheasants Forever
  • Ruffed Grouse Society
  • Society of American Foresters
  • The Nature Conservancy
  • US Fish & Wildlife
  • US Forest Service
  • US National Park Service
  • Western Pennsylvania Conservancy

Mission and Thanks

The mission of the Pennsylvania Prescribed Fire Council is to promote the exchange of information, techniques and experiences of the Pennsylvania prescribed fire community, and to promote public understanding of the importance and benefits of prescribed fire.