Seven of the top ten terrestrial habitats in need of conservation could be improved with the use of controlled burning.  These habitats include: Small Stream Swamp Forests, Dry Longleaf Pine Forests, Bottomland Hardwood Forests, Hardwood Seeps, Mesic Longleaf Pine Savanna/ Forests, Dry Hardwood Forests, and Dry-Mesic Hardwood Forests.

Change is biologically necessary to maintain many healthy ecosystems and resource managers have learned to use fire to create changes in plant and animal communities to meet their objectives. Varying fire timing, frequency, and intensity produces differing resource responses that create the correct changes for habitat manipulation.

Mississippi has laws regarding prescribed burning.  In the Mississippi Code, Sections 49-19-301 through 49-19-307 are known as the “Mississippi Prescribed Burning Act.”

The application of prescribed burning is a landowner property right and a land management tool that benefits the safety of the public, the environment and the economy of Mississippi.  The Mississippi Burning Act authorizes and promotes the continued use of prescribed burning for ecological, silvicultural and wildlife management purposes.

No property owner or his agent, conducting a prescribed burn pursuant to the requirements of this act shall be liable for damage or injury caused by fire or resulting smoke unless negligence is proven.

Prescribed burning conducted under the provisions of this act shall:

Be accomplished only when at least one certified prescribed burn manager is supervising the burn or burns that are being conducted;

Require that a written prescription be prepared and notarized prior to prescribed buring;

Require that a burning permit be obtained from the Mississippi Forestry Commission: and be considered in the public interest and shall not constitute a public or private nuisance when conducted pursuant to state air pollutions statutes and rules applicable to prescribed buring.

The Mississippi Forestry Commission has the authority to promulgate rules for the certification of prescribed burn managers and guidelines for a prescribed burn prescription.