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Texas A&M Forest Service outlines wildfire workshops, fuel-reduction grant opportunity for Kerr County
Summary
Texas A&M Forest Service told the Kerr County Commissioners Court it will offer wildfire mitigation workshops and a USDA pass-through mechanical fuel-reduction grant for private properties, including reimbursement up to $750 per acre (maximum $10,000 per property); a county-wide Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) effort was proposed.
At the Kerr County Commissioners Court meeting on Jan. 13, 2025, representatives from Texas A&M Forest Service briefed the court and residents on two wildfire-mitigation efforts planned for Kerr County: a mitigation strategy workshop and a pass-through mechanical fuel-reduction grant program.
The Forest Service said it will hold two mitigation-strategy sessions at the Hill Country Youth Event Center on Jan. 23 (10–11:30 a.m. and 1:30–3 p.m.). Presenters said sessions will target residents living in the wildland–urban interface and cover home and structure ignition zones, defensible space, and how community assessments are conducted to support a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP).
James Ward of the Texas A&M Forest Service said the mechanical fuel-reduction grant is a federal pass-through administered by the agency, funded from the USDA Forest Service. He said the program reimburses work on private properties or nonfederal public lands at about $750 per acre and allows up to $10,000 per individual property. Ward said the grant—named for significantly impacted communities at risk—is available in three eligible Texas counties, including Kerr.
County engineer Charlie Hastings said the CWPP work will exclude the City of Kerrville (county-wide elsewhere) and will involve mapping high-risk areas, identifying stakeholders, developing mitigation strategies, and recommending training needs. The Texas A&M Forest Service said it will advise and attend meetings and train county staff and volunteers to perform community assessments. The county will own and be the authority on the CWPP document.
Commissioners and staff discussed practical questions: whether participation would affect homeowners’ insurance (Ward said insurance companies use their own assessment processes and he could not guarantee changes), and how long development of a CWPP takes (Hastings estimated at least a year).
The Forest Service representatives said outreach will include posters, news releases and social-media notices; county emergency-management staff will help coordinate. The court noted the workshop’s fit with the county’s hazard mitigation plan and encouraged public attendance.
Ending
County officials said the presentation required no immediate action by the court but that follow-up work—attendance at the Jan. 23 workshops, recruitment of volunteers and contractors, and outreach to residents—will proceed. Staff will report back to the court on grant sign-ups and CWPP progress.
