The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced this week that $560,000 is available to help Pennsylvania’s rural communities better guard against the threat of fires in forested, undeveloped and unprotected areas.

Applications are due April 28.

Local firefighting forces in rural areas or communities with populations under 10,000 benefit from the grants. Last year, $508,000 worth of grants helped 140 fire companies across the state.

The maximum grant considered from any fire company in 2006 is $7,500. All items approved for purchase under the 2006 fiscal year program must be purchased between October 1, 2006, and November 30, 2007.

Priority will be given to those applications seeking funds for projects that include the purchase of wildfire suppression equipment and protective clothing. Grants also may be used for mobile or portable radios, installation of dry hydrants, wildfire prevention and mitigation, wildfire fighter training, and the conversion and maintenance of federal access vehicles received from the bureau for fire suppression use.

Grants for any project during a fiscal year cannot exceed 50 percent of the actual expenditures of local, public and private nonprofit organizations in the agreement.

Grants and other forms of assistance are offered annually through the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, with funding supplied by the USDA Forest Service through the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978.

Grant applications and information may be obtained from DCNR’s Forest Fire Protection webpage or contact Charles C. Choplick at 717-787-2925, or send email to cchoplick@state.pa.us .

2/24/2006