The Four County Fire that affected Russell, Ellis, Osborne and Rooks counties on Dec. 15, 2021 has made life difficult for many people in this area.

With the arrival of spring, producers may have questions that need answered in regards to range management following a wildfire.

Kansas State Research and Extension faculty will conduct a program at 4 p.m. April 19 at the KSU Research Center in Hays designed to answer these questions.

Speakers include KSU rangeland specialists Dr. Walt Fick and Keith Harmoney, Midway Extension livestock agent Clint Laflin, and K-State Mesonet.

Dr. Fick will discuss “Prescribed Burning, and Range Management Following Wildfire.” Harmoney will discuss “Effects of Recent and Historical Wildfires on Pasture Productivity and Plant Populations.”

K-State Mesonet will discuss the weather outlook for this coming season, and Laflin’s presentation is designed to help producers determine what current fire risks exist in their operation and strategies to decrease this risk. He will also discuss what it was like living through the Four County Fire. The evening wraps up with a free dinner and a town hall for producers to ask questions of the presenters.

RSVP for the meal by calling the Hays office of the Cottonwood Extension District at (785) 628-9430 or e-mailing tam3@ksu.edu.

The program is sponsored by High Plains Farm Credit.