Texas A&M Forest Service is accepting applications for grants to help Texas landowners offset the cost of prescribed fire.
More than $500,000 in grant funds are available for eligible landowners conducting prescribed burns on their property by certified and insured prescribed burn managers. Last year, the grant programs provided over $362,000 to facilitate prescribed fire treatments on 12,947 acres of privately owned land in Texas.
The deadline to apply is Sept. 30. Interested landowners can determine eligibility and find an application at tfsweb.tamu.edu/cppgrant.
“Prescribed burning can play a crucial role for landowners in reducing wildfire danger, improving wildlife habitats and fostering a healthier forest ecosystem,” said Weldon Dent, Texas A&M Forest Service Fuels Specialist.
Prescribed fire is a land management practice that helps remove brush, weeds, dried vegetation and fallen trees. It also promotes seed and plant regeneration, controls invasive plants and restores soil nutrients.
“This year’s elevated wildfire season is a good example of the importance of prescribed burning,” Dent said. “When prescribed fires are carefully managed, they can lower the impact of unexpected fires by decreasing the amount of flammable material on the ground.”
Texas A&M Forest Service offers grants to landowners to complete prescribed fires on private lands across the state, each with their own goals.
The Community Protection Program - Prescribed Fire Grant is available for property owners within 10 miles of a national forest in East Texas as well as property owners within 10 miles of the Caddo and LBJ national grasslands.
The State Fire Assistance for Mitigation - Central and East Texas Prescribed Fire Grant is available to all counties in the eastern part of the state, from Goliad County in South Texas to Cooke County along the Red River.
The Neches River and Cypress Basin Watershed Restoration Program – Prescribed Fire Grant is for prescribed burning in priority East Texas watersheds.
The Texas Longleaf Conservation Assistance Program - Prescribed Fire Grant is available for East Texas landowners interested in enhancing longleaf pine ecosystems. This cooperative program is available in select counties throughout the year. For details on this program, visit https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/longleaf/.
For residents in parts of the Panhandle, West Texas and South Texas, applications for the State Fire Assistance for Mitigation - Plains Prescribed Fire Grant are available from mid-July through mid-August each year.
Texas A&M Forest Service does not conduct these prescribed burns. Grant recipients must utilize a certified and insured prescribed burn manager to be eligible for reimbursement.
For more information, including eligibility requirements and an application, visit https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/cppgrant/.
Disclaimer: Current drought conditions in Texas may impact awarded prescribed fire grants and the window to conduct prescribed burning. Should current drought conditions persist, awarded landowner’s burn managers will be notified by Texas A&M Forest Service.
