MARBLE FALLS, TX – The Texas A&M Forest Service has announced that the Mechanical Fuel Reduction (MFR) Grant applications have opened for the month of April. Applications will remain open through April 30, 2025, and approval or declined notification letters for applicants will be mailed by the end of May 2025. The three treatment options open to apply for are hand-cut treatment, forestry mulcher treatment or combination treatment.
Grant recipients will be reimbursed actual costs not to exceed $750 per acre for hand-cut treatment, $2,000 per acre for forestry mulcher treatment and $1,500 per acre for combination treatment, with a maximum reimbursement limit of $6,000 per grant recipient.
The MFR Grant, which is funded through the U.S. Forest Service, aims to reduce the risk of home loss to wildfire through the use of accepted mechanical fuel reduction practices. Work must be conducted by a hired contractor of the landowner’s choosing who has no affiliation with the landowner and can’t be conducted by the landowner themselves. Projects that create defensible space between zero feet and 100 feet of the house or structure will be given priority.
“This is a great opportunity for people looking to better protect their properties from fire loss due to wildfires with grant funding offered by the Texas A&M Forest Service,” said Marble Falls Fire Rescue Chief Thomas Crane.
Marble Falls Mayor Dave Rhodes aims to raise awareness about the availability of this grant program and hopes residents will have the opportunity to explore this resource for protecting their properties.
Texas A&M Forest Service stipulates that all treatments must be a minimum of 66 feet wide and that all debris generated from these activities, including all dead woody debris, cut limbs and brush, must be removed from the property or mechanically reduced. Also, branches of remaining mature native Texas trees must be limbed up or reduced. All treatments will be subject to post-inspections to verify compliance with Texas A&M Forest Service regulations.
For more information about the MFR grant, submit an application or view frequently asked questions (FAQ) visit the Texas A&M Forestry Service website at tfsweb.tamu.edu.
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