COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KXAN) — The Texas A&M Forest Service will be offering grants to aid Texas landowners looking to offset any costs related to prescribed fires, per a Thursday release.
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,” the release said. The grant program offered up more than $362,000 last year to help lead prescribed fire treatments on nearly 13,000 acres of privately owned land statewide.
The last day to apply for the grant funds is Sept. 30. Those interested can check to see their eligibility and find an application online.
“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, fuels specialist with the Texas A&M Forest Service, in the release.
Prescribed fires are used to help remove brush, weeds, dried vegetation and fallen trees while also promoting seed and plant regeneration, the release said.
“This year’s elevated wildfire season is a good example of the importance of prescribed burning,” Dent added. “When prescribed fires are carefully managed, they can lower the impact of unexpected fires by decreasing the amount of flammable material on the ground.”
Several different grant options are available. Those include:
Community Protection Program – Prescribed Fire Grant: Available to 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: Prescribed burning in counties within the eastern portion of the state, from Goliad County in South Texas to Cooke County along the Red River
The Neches River and Cypress Basin Watershed Protection Program – Prescribed Fire Grant: Prescribed burning available for prioritized East Texas watersheds
The Texas Longleaf Conservation Assistance Program – Prescribed Fire Grant: Available for East Texas landowners looking to elevate longleaf pine ecosystems; cooperative program available in select counties
Residents living in the Panhandle, West Texas and South Texas can look into applications for the State Fire Assistance for Mitigation – Plains Prescribed Fire Grant. That’s available from mid-July through mid-August annually, per the release.
Texas A&M Forest Service will not lead the prescribed burns for selected applicants. Applications receiving the grant funding “must utilize a certified and insured prescribed burn manager” to be eligible for that reimbursement, the release said.
More details are available online.
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