MFR Grant and EQIP Cost-Share for Brush Management

Table of Contents

• Two Programs That Can Offset Brush Management Costs
• The Texas A&M Forest Service MFR Grant
  • What MFR pays
  • What the work must look like
  • How the MFR process works
• NRCS EQIP Practice 314 for Brush Management
  • Who EQIP is for
  • How the EQIP process works
• Using MFR and EQIP on the Same Property
• Getting a Contractor Quote for Your Application
• Frequently Asked Questions

Two Programs That Can Offset Brush Management Costs

Brush management on Hill Country land can qualify for help from two programs. They have different goals, different rules and different offices, so it pays to understand both before any work starts.

• MFR is run by Texas A&M Forest Service with USDA Forest Service funding. It focuses on reducing the risk of home loss to wildfire.
• EQIP Practice 314 is run by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). It addresses natural resource concerns on working lands.

The Texas A&M Forest Service MFR Grant

The MFR grant is a competitive cost-share reimbursement grant for private Texas landowners in eligible counties. It pays for mechanical fuel reduction that creates defensible space around homes and structures, and for fuel breaks. Eligible counties can change each year, so check the Texas A&M Forest Service eligibility map.

What MFR pays

Landowners are reimbursed for actual costs up to these limits:

• $750 per acre for hand-cut treatments
• $1,500 per acre for a combination of hand-cut and heavy equipment
• $2,000 per acre for heavy equipment, such as a forestry mulcher or masticator
• Up to $20,000 per landowner

Because it’s cost-share, the grant may not cover 100% of the project.

What the work must look like

• Priority goes to defensible space within 0 to 100 feet of a home or structure. Treatments may extend up to 300 feet in all directions.
• Each treatment must be at least 66 feet wide.
• All debris must be removed from the property or mechanically reduced to mulch or chips.
• Remaining mature native trees must have their lower branches limbed up or reduced to limit ladder fuels.
• Burning of any kind is not allowed and disqualifies the project.
• The work must be done by a contractor the landowner hires. The landowner can’t do the work, and the contractor can’t be affiliated with the landowner.

Forestry mulching fits the debris rule well: it grinds cedar and brush in place into mulch, with no burn piles and no haul-off. Our wildfire mitigation page covers how we use it for defensible space.

How the MFR process works

1. Apply online during the Texas A&M Forest Service application window. Include a map of the project area, contractor information and a cost estimate.
2. Applications are scored on wildfire mitigation factors. Approval isn’t guaranteed.
3. If approved, Texas A&M Forest Service schedules a pre-inspection. Work can’t begin until it’s complete.
4. The contractor finishes the work by the program deadline.
5. A post-inspection verifies the acreage and dimensions.
6. Submit receipts and invoices for reimbursement.

Any MFR work done before the pre-inspection isn’t eligible for reimbursement, even if the application is approved.

Application windows and deadlines change each cycle. Our grants page lists the current dates.

NRCS EQIP Practice 314 for Brush Management

EQIP is the NRCS’s main conservation program. It gives technical and financial help to address natural resource concerns on working lands. Brush management is Conservation Practice 314, and payment rates are set by the Texas EQIP payment schedule.

Who EQIP is for

EQIP is for farmers, ranchers and forest landowners. To check eligibility, NRCS asks for an official tax ID, a deed or lease showing you control the property, and a farm number. If you don’t have a farm number, the USDA Farm Service Agency can issue one.

How the EQIP process works

1. Contact your local NRCS office. A conservation planner walks the land with you and develops a conservation plan.
2. NRCS helps you with the application and eligibility forms.
3. Applications are accepted year-round but are ranked and funded by state ranking dates.
4. If your application is selected, you decide whether to sign the contract. You then get the practice standards and a set time to finish the work.
5. Once the work is done and inspected, you’re paid the practice rate if it meets NRCS standards.

NRCS technical assistance is free, and some producers may qualify for advance payment. Work done before your contract is signed isn’t paid.

Using MFR and EQIP on the Same Property

Don’t assume both programs will pay for the same acres. Before any work starts, ask both Texas A&M Forest Service and your NRCS office:

• Whether funding from one program affects your eligibility for the other
• How they want separate treatment areas mapped
• How they want the other program’s funding disclosed

Get their answers in writing and keep them with your project file.

Getting a Contractor Quote for Your Application

An MFR application needs contractor information and a cost estimate, so get your quote before you apply. Forestry mulching, cedar removal and wildfire mitigation run $2,300 per day. You can choose a project price or our day rate, and either way the price is agreed before work starts.

Click “Get a Free Quote Today” and send your project details first, then a few photos. We typically reply within minutes, and an owner walks the property with you before any contract is signed. You can also call or text (512) 641-5658.

Get a Free Quote Today

MFR and EQIP can each offset part of the cost of brush management when the rules and timing are followed from the start. Check the current dates, get your quote, and don’t start work until your program says you can.