COLLEGE STATION – The 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.
The deadline to apply is Sept. 30. Interested landowners can determine eligibility and find an application at tfsweb.tamu.edu/cppgrant.
Prescribed fire is a land management practice that eliminates brush, weeds, dried vegetation, and downed trees. It also fosters seed and plant regeneration, reduces invasive plants, and restores soil nutrients.
Several programs offer prescribed fire grants. They include:
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Community Protection Program – Prescribed Fire Grant, available for property owners within ten miles of a national forest in East Texas or within ten miles of the Caddo and LBJ national grasslands.
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State Fire Assistance for Mitigation Central and East Texas – Prescribed Fire Grant, available in all counties in the eastern part of the state, from Goliad County to Cooke County.
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Neches River and Cypress Basin Wastershed Restoration Program – Prescribed Fire Grant, for prescribed burning in priority East Texas watersheds.
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Texas Longleaf Conservation Assistance Program – Prescribed Fire Grant, available for East Texas landowners interested in enhancing longleaf pine ecosystems. This cooperative program is available in select counties throughout the year.
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State Fire Assistance Mitigation – Plains Prescribed Fire Grant, available for landowners in parts of the Panhandle, West Texas, and South Texas. Applications are available each June 15 through August 15.
The Texas A&M Forest Service does not conduct prescribed burns. Grant recipients must select a certified and insured prescribed burn manager to be eligible for reimbursement.
Last year, these grant programs provided more than $322,000 to landowners for a total of 11,667 acres treated.
For information about other natural resource programs that offer financial assistance to Texas landowners, visit https://texasforestinfo.tamu.edu/fundingconnector/.
The Texas Real Estate Research Center has a wealth of economic information online for free.