Prescribed Burning Program Accepting Applications in MS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 29, 2013

Jackson – The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) is continuing its partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Foundation for Mississippi Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, and Wildlife Mississippi to provide cost-share for prescribed burning on private lands. Since its inception in 2011, the “Fire on the Forty” program has provided cost-share funding for prescribed burning on more than 10,000 acres in North and South Mississippi.

Prescribed fire is a very important tool for forest and wildlife management, but many private landowners are reluctant to use it because of cost and liability concerns.  As part of the “Fire on the Forty” initiative, the partnership will reimburse burning projects in selected focal counties up to 50 percent of costs for implementing and performing a prescribed burn.  These focal counties include Monroe, Lowndes, Noxubee, and Prentiss in North Mississippi and Amite, Marion, Lamar, Pearl River, Pike, and Walthall in South Mississippi.  Landowners must submit an application for entry into the program before October 15 to be considered for this year’s funding.  All applications will be competitively ranked based on potential habitat benefits for wildlife.

For more information regarding the “Fire on the Forty” program, including project application forms, visit www.mdwfp.com/fireontheforty, contact John Gruchy at johng@mdwfp.state.ms.us, or call (601) 432-2199.  Follow them on Facebook at www.facebook/mdwfp or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MDWFPonline.

*This information was obtained from a Press Release by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks