Montrose - Daily Press

MONTROSE �” Local landowners are encouraged to apply for emergency supplemental grants from the Colorado State Forest Service to reduce the risk of damaging wildfire and enhance the health and productivity of Colorado’s private forest lands.

� “This is a great opportunity for landowners to improve their forest’s health, reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire and receive some financial assistance in doing so,” said Jodi Rist, Montrose district forester.� “We encourage landowners to combine efforts in order to increase overall treatment size.� Working collaboratively with your neighbors will increase your chances of receiving funds.� Our district’s foresters will be happy to assist in coordinating land owners who are interested and have project ideas.”

The maximum reimbursement is $470 per acre. Total costs should be calculated and may exceed that amount, but landowners will have to pay for any extra costs.

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Priority will be given to projects that reduce fuel, and all forest management projects including fuel reduction are eligible for consideration. Areas that add to existing projects or enhance protection for watershed, adjacent landowners or landscape scale or both also will be favored.

“Pass through” applications are preferred, whereby the landowner funds the project and is reimbursed by the Forest Service upon project completion.� The Forest Service can provide project design, layout and project administration via a service agreement and small fee per treated acre.

Also, projects with community wildfire protection plans may be prioritized.

For more information or to apply, call the local Forest Service office at 249-9051.� Applications must be e-mailed to austin.shelby@colostate.edu by 4 p.m. April 2. � 

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