The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks is continuing its partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Foundation for Mississippi Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, Wildlife Mississippi, and others to provide cost-share for prescribed burning on private lands.

Since its inception in 2011, the “Fire on the Forty” program has provided cost-share funding for prescribed burning on more than 69,000 acres in North and South Mississippi.

Prescribed fire is a very important tool for forest and wildlife management.  As part of the “Fire on the Forty” initiative, the partnership will reimburse burning projects in selected focal counties up to 50 percent of costs for implementing and performing a prescribed burn.  These focal counties include Monroe, Lowndes, Noxubee, and Prentiss in North Mississippi and Amite, Pike, Walthall, Jefferson Davis, Covington, Marion, Lamar, Pearl River, and Forest in South Mississippi.

Click here to view a map of focal areas.

Landowners must submit an application for entry into the program prior to November 30 to be considered for this year’s funding.  All applications will be competitively ranked based on potential habitat benefits for wildlife. Funding for the “Fire on the Forty” initiative is provided by the U.S, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Southern Company, and the National Wild Turkey Federation.

Click here for more information regarding wildlife management on private lands, email john.gruchy@wfp.ms.gov, or call 601-432-2199.