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The USDA has award 3.24 million dollars in forest service’s eastern region, in order to support 17 fire related projects in the Northeast and Midwest. Michigan’s DNR will receive a portion of those grant funds. The projects are funded through the forest service’s Cohesive Fire Strategy Grant Program. Which supports local wildfire management initiatives on non-federal lands.
The grants are spread across 20 states in the north east and Midwest. Michigan will get 300,000 dollars to mitigate hazardous fuels on the ground in areas affected by snow and ice storms in 2019. That affected parts of the upper and lower peninsulas. The Michigan DNR will use a part of the grant for upgrading the state’s online burn permit system, making it more efficient and cost effective.
Last year in Michigan there were 274 wildfire incidents, exasperated by an early spring and late fall. Fire safety outreach is becoming a larger part of fire prevention. With studies showing for every dollar invested into prevention, results in 35 dollars saved in suppression cost.
