South Dakota Ag Connection - Fire Hazard and Fuels Mitigation Cost-Share Program

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Fire Hazard and Fuels Mitigation Cost-Share Program
South Dakota Ag Connection - 10/21/2016

With the season changing in the Black Hills, now is the best time to lower the risk of catastrophic fire to your property. The South Dakota Department of Agriculture's (SDDA) Wildland Fire Division has funding available through the 50 Percent Cost Share Fire Hazard and Fuels Reduction Program.

The program targets and removes deformed, diseased, damaged and broken topped coniferous trees while encouraging growth of deciduous trees. Conifers will be removed until an average spacing of 30 feet between the crowns is achieved. Remaining conifers will be limbed at least 10 feet from the ground. The goal is to create or enhance survivable space around homes, by mimicking the effects that fire would have on the landscape by removing unhealthy trees, resulting in less competition.

South Dakota Wildland Fire (SDWF) is unable to cost share projects consisting of select tree removal due to various forms of tree mortality (i.e. bug tree removal) or cleanup of slash piles, chip piles or cut and chunk material that has been left from previous treatments. Treatments larger than 6.5 acres are typically not eligible under this program, unless specifically targeted as a necessary mitigation effort for a high-risk interface area.

For information, please contact Evan Kleinpaste, urban interface technician with SDWF at 605.394.5203. For more information on reducing fire threats around your home, visit www.gpfiresafecouncil.com.

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