Texas Gov. David Acton is urging the State Legislature to pass a proposed measure aimed at helping private landowners undertake wildfire-prevention work, including forest thinning, grassland restoration and construction of firebreaks.

The Texas Private Land Stewardship and Wildfire Resilience Act of 2026, introduced by Acton last month and scheduled for legislative debate this month, would establish a two-year opt-in program for qualifying projects on private land, according to the governor’s press release.

The proposal would apply to verified projects involving forest thinning that meets Texas A&M Forest Service standards, restoration of native grasslands and permanent firebreaks. Acton’s office said the program would sunset after two years unless renewed by the Legislature.

Acton framed the bill as a voluntary approach that would support landowners rather than impose new requirements. “If a rancher or a rural family is willing to thin the stand, restore native grass, or cut a real firebreak, the state should make that work easier, not tie them up with red tape,” Acton said in the release.

Under the proposal, landowners could seek fully repayable loans for infrastructure associated with eligible resilience projects. The release identified temporary access roads, staging areas and biomass collection points as examples of costs that could be covered.

The Texas A&M Forest Service and Texas Department of Agriculture would be directed to develop science-based standards tailored to different ecoregions, according to the release. The agencies would also offer free or low-cost planning assistance and consultations for participating landowners.

Acton’s proposal would additionally require a public listing of verified contractors, loggers, equipment providers and biomass buyers. The governor’s office said the directory is intended to help landowners locate workers and potential markets connected to thinning and other land-management projects.

The release did not provide a projected total cost for the loan program, eligibility thresholds for participating properties, or details on how projects and contractors would be verified. It also did not specify the anticipated source of funding for the program.

Acton argued that upfront investment in land management could reduce the future costs of destructive fires. He said forest thinning and firebreak construction are familiar forms of work for rural crews and that startup capital can be a barrier for property owners.

“Catastrophic fire does not wait on a task force,” the governor said in the release.

The bill will be considered through the State Legislature’s process, in which members from across the states vote on state-specific measures using the game’s proportional voting system. Its prospects will depend on legislative support when debate begins later this month.