Grants available to Texas landowners for prescribed burning

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Texas A&M Forest Service is accepting applications for grants to help eligible Texas property owners with the cost of prescribed burning on their land.

The grants will reimburse landowners to offset the cost of having a prescribed burn conducted on their property by certified and insured prescribed burn managers. Last year, these grant programs provided more than $322,000 to landowners for a total of 11,667 acres treated.

The deadline to apply is Sept. 30. Interested landowners can determine eligibility and find an application at tfsweb.tamu.edu/cppgrant.

“Prescribed burning can be an important and effective tool for landowners to reduce wildfire risk, while enhancing wildlife habitat and promoting a healthier forest ecosystem,” said Weldon Dent, Texas A&M Forest Service Fuels Specialist.

Prescribed fire is a land management practice that eliminates brush, weeds, dried vegetation and downed trees. Prescribed fire also fosters seed and plant regeneration, reduces invasive plants and restores soil nutrients.

“This year’s extreme wildfire season is a good example of the importance of prescribed burning,” Dent said. “Prescribed fire in a controlled environment can reduce the intensity of an unplanned fire by reducing the fuel load 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 Wastershed 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 Mitigation - Plains Prescribed Fire Grant are available each June 15 through August 15.

Texas A&M Forest Service does not conduct these prescribed burns. Grant recipients must select 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/.

For information about other natural resource programs that offer financial assistance to Texas landowners, visit https://texasforestinfo.tamu.edu/fundingconnector/.

Texas A&M Forest Service Contacts:

Weldon Dent, Texas A&M Forest Service Program Specialist - Fuels, 936-639-8162, [email protected]

Hughes Simpson, Texas A&M Forest Service Division Chief Operating Officer, 979-458-6658, [email protected]

Texas A&M Forest Service Communications, 979-458-6606, [email protected]