The cross boundary wildfire hazard mitigation on non-federal lands program funds hazardous fuel reduction and mitigation activities close to national forest lands to reduce the undesired effects of…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, Region 8 – Southern Region, awarded a $165,000 Project Grant to the South Carolina Forestry Commission under the State & Private Forestry Hazardous Fuel Reduction Program (CFDA 10.697) on August 7, 2025. The award funds hazardous fuel reduction and wildfire mitigation activities on non-federal lands in South Carolina adjacent to National Forest System lands through August 6, 2030. The South Carolina Forestry Commission will implement cross-boundary wildfire hazard mitigation initiatives designed to reduce the volume of hazardous fuels across forests, woodlands, shrublands, and grasslands, thereby mitigating the risk of large, destructive wildfires that could threaten both forest resources and adjacent communities.

The grant supports landscape-scale fuel reduction treatments that may include mechanical thinning, prescribed burning, mastication, hand treatments, and vegetation management activities. The South Carolina Forestry Commission may also conduct community education, develop wildfire protection plans, perform landscape restoration assessments, and provide technical assistance to private landowners to restore fire-adapted landscapes and enhance community resilience against catastrophic wildfire threats. These efforts complement ongoing federal land management activities while supporting the Forest Service's Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy goals.

The cross boundary wildfire hazard mitigation on non-federal lands program funds hazardous fuel reduction and mitigation activities close to national forest lands to reduce the undesired effects of large, destructive wildfires by reducing the volume of hazardous fuels on forests, woodlands, shrublands, and grasslands.