Community Protection Program - Prescribed Fire Grant

The Community Protection Program Prescribed Fire Grant is administered by the Texas A&M Forest Service to support wildfire risk reduction efforts in high-risk areas of Texas. The program focuses specifically on lands located near National Forest boundaries, including the Sam Houston, Sabine, Davy Crockett, and Angelina National Forests. The grant reflects the agency’s broader mission of protecting communities, ecosystems, and infrastructure from catastrophic wildfire events by encouraging proactive land management practices. The primary purpose of this grant is to reduce hazardous fuel loads through prescribed burning on private and non-federal public lands. By incentivizing landowners to conduct controlled burns, the program aims to improve forest health, reduce wildfire intensity, and protect nearby communities. The scope of funding is limited to activities directly associated with prescribed burning, and reimbursement is provided based on actual per-acre costs, capped at a maximum rate. The program explicitly excludes funding for related activities such as equipment work, firebreak construction billed separately, or the development of burn plans by private contractors. Eligibility is restricted to landowners whose property lies within 10 miles of designated National Forest boundaries in Texas. Applicants must either own the land or have explicit permission from the landowner to apply. Additionally, prescribed burns must be conducted by a Certified and Insured Prescribed Burn Manager, ensuring compliance with safety and regulatory standards. Certain applicants are ineligible, including landowners who also serve as the burn manager on their own property, and properties that previously received funding under this program cycle. The application process is conducted entirely online and is open annually from June 1 through July 14. Applicants are required to submit comprehensive information, including landowner and contractor details, a detailed burn plan signed by a qualified burn boss, geographic coordinates of the burn unit, and supporting maps. Applications submitted after the deadline or through alternative formats such as email or mail are not accepted. No deadline extensions are permitted, reinforcing the program’s strict adherence to timelines. Applications are evaluated competitively based on their potential to reduce wildfire risk near vulnerable communities. Following submission, applicants receive a notification indicating approval or denial. Approved applicants must complete all required documentation and receive an official approval-to-burn letter before initiating any prescribed burn activities. Failure to adhere to this requirement may result in forfeiture of reimbursement eligibility. Once approved, the program includes pre- and post-burn site inspections conducted by the administering agency. These inspections verify vegetation conditions and confirm the acreage treated. Burn contractors are required to provide advance notice prior to conducting burns and report completed acreage afterward. Reimbursement is issued only after verification of completed work on approved land tracts. The grant operates on an annual cycle, with recurring application periods each year during early summer. While exact award timelines are not specified, the structured process—from application to inspection and reimbursement—ensures accountability and alignment with the program’s goal of mitigating wildfire risk through responsible land management practices.

Ensure burn plan is complete and signed; submit before deadline with all required geographic and contractor details; wait for approval to burn letter before conducting any activity