Prescribed fire grant applications for Texas Plains region now open
Improve wildlife habitats, rangeland conditions with prescribed fire
Texas A&M Forest Service is now accepting grant applications for the State Fire Assistance for Mitigation – Plains Prescribed Fire Grant through Aug. 15. The grant will provide nearly $92,000 in funding for prescribed burns.
What is prescribed fire?
Prescribed fire is the planned application of a low-intensity fire to the landscape by fire and fuel specialists. The practice is a strategic, planned land management tool that uses fire to achieve set goals that are in accordance with applicable laws, policies and regulations.
“Prescribed burning is one of the most commonly used tools for managing hazardous fuel buildups because of its relatively low cost per acre,” said Jake Gosschalk, Texas A&M Forest Service fuels program specialist IV. “Reintroducing fire to the landscape also improves wildlife habitats and rangeland conditions for grazing.”
Properties near communities in the Panhandle, Northwest, West and South Texas at risk for loss during a wind-driven wildfire are eligible. The application process is entirely online. This allows landowners to work directly with the certified prescribed burn manager of their choice to complete the application, burn plan and map requirements.
“This year, we have adjusted the program to allow recipients a full 12 months to complete the burn, running Sept. 15, 2023, through Sept. 15, 2024,” Gosschalk said. “By extending the burn window for landowners, they’ll have the opportunity to conduct both cool-season and warm-season summer burns.”
Grant recipients will be reimbursed actual per-acre costs associated with conducting the prescribed burn up to $30 per acre with a limit of 800 acres per recipient. The burn must be conducted by either a private or commercial certified and insured prescribed burn manager, which landowners must identify on the grant application.
Priority will be given to treatment sites that provide protection to the highest-risk communities based on the Texas Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal, are located near homes and contain ecosystems that will benefit from prescribed fire.
Check eligibility and complete the online application, or learn more about prescribed fire by visiting Texas A&M Forest Service Prescribed Burns or the TDA Prescribed Burning Board.
For more information on wildfire preparedness, visit https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/content/landing.aspx?id=19841.
