Cost-Share Programs
Organization: Texas Longleaf Team (TLT)
Contact: Texas Longleaf Team at 936-225-2175, texaslongleafteam@gmail.com
Overview: The Texas Longleaf Conservation Assistance Program provides eligible landowners with financial and technical assistance for establishing, enhancing and managing longleaf pine. Approved conservation practices include prescribed burning, reforestation, site preparation and forest stand improvement.
Project Area: Angelina, Chambers, Cherokee, Hardin, Houston, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Panola, Polk, Rusk, San Augustine, Sabine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity, Tyler counties
Details: Approved participants will receive cost share on approved practices based on ~50% of average industry rates:
Prescribed Burning - $30/ac
Site Preparation/Planting - $215/ac + $0.14/seedling
Forest Stand Improvement - $165/ac
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Download a fillable application
Organization: Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
Contact: Local NRCS field office
Overview: To help sustain, enhance and restore longleaf pine forests, the USDA NRCS offers financial assistance to landowners for implementation of conservation practices that maintain, improve, and restore the longleaf pine ecosystem in east Texas. Approved participants will receive financial assistance for implementing conservation practices including planting longleaf pine, installing firebreaks, conducting prescribed burning and controlling invasive plants.
Project Area: Suitable sites in East Texas capable of producing Longleaf pine.
Priority Counties include:
Anderson, Angelina, Chambers, Cherokee, Hardin, Houston, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity, Tyler and Walker.
Details: NRCS provides Technical Assistance and Financial Assistance. Payment rates for the Longleaf Pine Initiative typically exceed payment rates under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and may vary from year to year. Contact your local NRCS field office for information regarding payment rates.
Organization: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
Contact: See Map for Regional Contacts; The History of the Partners Program
Overview: The Partners for Fish and Wildlife (Partners) Program serves a vital role in fulfilling the mission of the USFWS of working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service formed the Partners Program as a means of providing financial and technical assistance to private landowners and tribes who conduct wildlife habitat improvement for the benefit of Federal Trust species. Federal Trust species include migratory birds, threatened and endangered species, inter-jurisdictional fish, certain marine mammals, and species of international concern.
The Partners Program provides cost-sharing and technical assistance to Cooperators which include private landowners, non-Federal agencies, conservation organizations, schools, and other entities with an interest in wildlife and resource management.
In Texas, the program emphasizes conservation practices such as invasive species control, native prairie restoration, longleaf pine restoration and enhancement, and prescribed fire.
Project Area: Angelina, Chambers, Cherokee, Hardin, Houston, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Nacogdoches, Newton, Panola, Polk, Orange, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity, and Tyler Counties
Details: Program reimburses landowner up to 75%.
Site Prep, containerized seedlings, hand planting, timber stand improvement
Landowner max - $25,000 T&E species benefit - $40,000
10 year management agreement
Community Protection Program – Prescribed Fire Grant
Organization: Texas A&M Forest Service (TFS)
Contact: William "Andy" McCrady, Program Coordinator III, 936-689-9393, wmccrady@tfs.tamu.edu; or https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/cppgrant, 936-564-9276
Overview: The Community Protection Program's goal is to protect high-risk communities and associated forest resources by reducing the risk of a catastrophic wildfire on private and public lands. Landowners within 10 miles of a National Forest boundary can apply for reimbursement of actual costs, not to exceed $30/acre, of conducting a prescribed burn to reduce high-risk fuels.
Project Area: Priority will be given to treatment sites that are within two miles of a community and ten miles of a National Forest boundary.
Details: No cost shares are involved with this grant program. Grant recipients will be reimbursed actual per acre costs associated with conducting the prescribed burn not to exceed the maximum reimbursement rate of $30.00 per acre with a total limit of 800 acres per recipient. Annual application period is September 1-30.
State Fire Assistance for Mitigation - Central and East Texas Prescribed Fire Grant
Organization: Texas A&M Forest Service (TFS)
Contact: William "Andy" McCrady, Program Coordinator III, 936-689-9393, wmccrady@tfs.tamu.edu; or https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/cppgrant, 936-564-9276
Overview: The purpose of this grant is to provide assistance to communities that have been or may be threatened by wildland fire by funding prescribed burning to reduce hazardous fuels in and around communities. The goal is to protect high-risk communities and aid in ecosystem restoration by utilizing prescribed fire to consume excess vegetation before it contributes to catastrophic wildfire.
Project Area: Priority will be given to treatment sites that are private properties in the 43 Texas counties that have a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) within the county, located near a Firewise community, located near homes based on Texas Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal (TxWRAP), and contain ecosystems that will benefit from prescribed fire.
Details: No cost shares are involved with this grant program. Grant recipients will be reimbursed actual per acre costs associated with conducting the prescribed burn not to exceed the maximum reimbursement rate of $30.00 per acre with a total limit of 500 acres per recipient. Annual application period is September 1-30.
Neches River and Cypress Basin Watershed Restoration Program - Prescribed Fire Grant
Organization: Texas A&M Forest Service (TFS)
Contact: William "Andy" McCrady, Program Coordinator III, 936-689-9393, wmccrady@tfs.tamu.edu; or https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/cppgrant, 936-564-9276
Overview: This grant provides assistance to landowners in utilizing prescribed fire for ecological improvement to the Neches River and Cypress Basin watersheds. This program will benefit the public and natural resources through improvement of water quality and quantity, control of invasive species, and enhancement of wildlife habitat.
Project Area: Treatment areas will be private property in the Neches River and Cypress Basin Watersheds. Priority will be given to prescribed burn treatments that promote native ecosystem restoration, are in priority watershed protection zones, and near public land.
Details: Grant recipients will be reimbursed actual per acre costs associated with conducting the prescribed burn, not to exceed the maximum reimbursement rate of $22.50 per acre with a total limit of 800 acres per recipient. Annual application period is September 1-30.