Margit Bucher

Assistant Director of Science and Stewardship, The Nature Conservancy, North Carolina Chapter

While working as the Fire Manager for The Nature Conservancy, North Carolina Chapter, Margit Bucher oversees the fire program. The Nature Conservancy’s objectives are to preserve and protect endangered ecosystems. Fire is a vital tool in their tool kit. She works with her staff to put the right fire in the right place at the right time. In order to achieve this goal she trains her staff, plans, and maintains resources in order to conduct controlled burns safely. Fire doesn’t recognize boundaries, so working collaboratively is essential in conducting controlled burns or addressing wildfire risks. Working with partners and sharing resources makes it more efficient to meet management objectives as a team.

Robert Horton

Resource Conservationist, North Carolina Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Robert Horton is a Resource Conservationist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) ecological science staff within the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in North Carolina.

The NRCS offers voluntary programs to eligible landowners and agricultural producers to provide financial and technical assistance to help manage natural resources in a sustainable manner, such as through the use of prescribed fire. Robert explains how the NRCS administers the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for prescribed fire, as well as the process to become enrolled in a NRCS program, how to reach an NRCS agent in your area, and requirements of a contract.