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Grant Programs

The Mississippi Forestry Commission helps fund a number of grant programs that advance forestry education, the growth of healthy forests, and provide firefighters with equipment and supplies.

Main Street USA

Community Forest Program

The Community Forest Program (CFP) is a competitive national grant program offered by the U.S. Forest Service that provides financial assistance to tribal entities, local governments, and qualified conservation non-profit organizations to acquire and establish community forests.

Urban and Community Forestry Grants

The U&CF Program helps aid in the development of long-term, self-sustaining urban and community forestry programs. The program’s goal is to inspire or enhance local or statewide urban and community forestry programs with an emphasis on increasing local capacity, volunteer involvement, planning, training, and continuing education.

Rural Fire Assistance

The Mississippi Forestry Commission offers two grant programs designed to help our state’s volunteer fire departments obtain the equipment and supplies needed to fight wildland fires.

Firefighter Property Program

This program provides rural volunteer fire departments with excess equipment that is no longer needed by the Department of Defense (DoD).

Volunteer Fire Assistance Program

Through this program eligible rural volunteer fire departments are reimbursed for funds spent on approved wildland firefighting equipment and communication equipment.

Wildfire Prevention Federal Grants

The Mississippi Forestry Commission (MFC) utilizes two federal grants for wildfire prevention efforts. Both grants are used by MFC to reduce hazardous fuel loadings in an effort to protect communities within our state from destructive wildfires. The State Fire Assistance (SFA) Mitigation grant is further broken out for education and our Firewise USA program. If you are interested in applying to either of the federal grants below, contact your area forester to see if your land qualifies.

SFA Mitigation Grant

Hazard Mitigation funding is distributed through a competitive grant process and in accordance with the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy, Southern Group of State Foresters’ Strategic Plan, State Forest Action Plans, and US Forest Service National and Regional Priorities.

SFA – “Mitigation” activities focus on creating fire-adapted communities by reducing hazardous fuels in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), developing and implementing Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs), providing prevention and mitigation education, and by achieving Fire Adapted Community and Firewise programming and other community hazard mitigation.

Community Fire Protection Grant

Funds are distributed competitively to State Foresters based on proposals, plans, and requests. The Hazard Mitigation Competitive Grant Review Committee meets annually to review and approve the Community Fire Protection Program proposals submitted by the states.

Community Fire Protection Program provides National Forest hazardous fuels mitigation funds for use on private lands that are adjacent to National Forests.

For general information about available grants through the Mississippi Forestry Commission, submit your questions to comments@mfc.ms.gov