Funding opportunities available to East Texas landowners for prescribed burning

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 4, 2024

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Texas A&M Forest Service is offering more than $800,000 in grants to help East Texas landowners offset the cost of prescribed fire to reduce wildfire risks and restore ecosystems.

The grant application is now available for eligible landowners conducting prescribed burns on their property by certified and insured prescribed burn managers. The deadline to apply is Sept. 30. Eligible landowners may receive reimbursement for up to $30 per acre for the costs of the prescribed burn, but rates may vary.

Available grants in this application cycle include the Neches River and Cypress Basin Watershed Restoration Program (NRCBW), Community Protection Program (CPP) and State Fire Capacity near Federal lands in East Texas Prescribed Fire Grant (SFC-ETX).

Prescribed fire is a land management practice with numerous benefits, including habitat restoration, soil health improvement and the reduction of wildfire hazards. The allocation of grant funds will prioritize wildfire hazard mitigation that emphasizes the protection of homes, communities and natural ecosystems.

"Prescribed fire is the most cost-effective method to manage the understory vegetation and dead fuel that accumulates in our forests over time," said Andy McCrady, Texas A&M Forest Service Program Coordinator. "Heavy spring rains in East Texas increased the summer fuel growth, so using prescribed burns in winter and spring 2025 will help reduce wildfire risks before the next season of drought."

Last year, Texas A&M Forest Service prescribed fire grant programs awarded more than $293,000 to landowners across the state to assist with treating 10,969 acres of privately owned land.

Texas A&M Forest Service does not conduct these prescribed burns. Grant recipients must be licensed or utilize a contractor who is licensed by the Texas Department of Agriculture as a certified and insured prescribed burn manager.

To determine eligibility and access the online application for the NRCBW, CPP and SFC-ETX grants, visit http://texasforestservice.tamu.edu/cppgrant/.

For additional grant programs available to Texas landowners, please visit https://texasforestinfo.tamu.edu/fundingconnector/.

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Texas A&M Forest Service Contacts:

William "Andy" McCrady, Program Coordinator - Fuels; 936-689-9393; [email protected]

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

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