Prescribed fire advocates are pushing for new legislation in Illinois, arguing that controlled burns are essential to restoring the state’s native ecosystems—but increasingly difficult to carry out. On Community Voices, Nature Conservancy representatives Ellicia Sanchez and Tharran Hobson explained why they’re urging lawmakers to create a state-backed insurance fund that would remove major barriers for conservation groups.
Sanchez said organizations across Illinois are struggling to obtain affordable, reliable insurance coverage for prescribed burns. Some policies are “prohibitively expensive,” while others limit how many burns can be conducted each year or fail to clearly state whether prescribed fire is covered at all. As she put it, this uncertainty has become “a huge barrier in getting more prescribed fire on the ground,” even though it’s a critical land‑management tool.
Hobson, a veteran burn boss who has led more than 300 prescribed fires, emphasized that Illinois ecosystems evolved with fire. Controlled burns clear leaf litter, suppress invasive species, and help native oaks regenerate—acorns “require being in contact with mineral soil,” he noted, but often sit atop inches of debris without fire. Despite public concerns, he said prescribed burns are highly regulated and remarkably safe, with “less than 0.04 incidents” occurring.
The proposed insurance fund is modeled after successful programs in western states. While Illinois faces a tight budget, Sanchez remains hopeful the bill will advance, saying early feedback has been encouraging. If not this year, she added, “we are ready to go for next session.”
Transcript pending.
