The Monroe Township Fire Department has been awarded a $7,789 grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry. The funds are intended to support prescribed fire programs.

According to an Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) press release, the Division allocated these funds through the Prescribed Fire Supplies, Tools, Education, and Personal Protective Equipment (STEP) Grant program. The grant awarded to the Monroe Township Fire Department forms part of a larger funding initiative amounting to $54,884 for 19 projects.

The ODNR press release also indicates that the Monroe Township Fire Department will utilize the grant funds to acquire a UTV slip-in, a rescue skid, hose, and water packs.

As stated in the ODNR press release, the Prescribed Fire STEP Grant projects aim to bolster Ohio land management agencies by aiding them in establishing and expanding prescribed fire programs. The grant recipients have the option to use these funds for purchasing pumps, hoses, nozzles, personal protective equipment, radios, tools, and weather data devices.

The ODNR press release emphasizes that prescribed fire is an essential tool for maintaining vital habitats and ecosystems for many of Ohio's land management agencies. It has been proven as the most effective technique to promote growth and establish native prairie species. Oak and hickory forests require fire as a disturbance factor to curtail growth of competing species so that oak seedlings can become established and dominant.