Forest Fire Protection Assessment

On your Property Tax Statements you may see an assessment for State Forest Patrol or STFIRE. This assessment is part of the Department of Natural Resources Forest Fire Protection Assessment. Landowners who have paid their forest fire protection fees are entitled to DNR wildfire suppression services. To help you understand what this assessment is and why you are being assessed this fee we are including some of the Department of Natural Resources Frequently Asked Questions.
  1. What is the Forest Fire Protection Assessment?
  2. How does DNR know what is “forest land?"
  3. What's the definition of “unimproved land?"
  4. My property is mostly shrubs and grasses with only a few trees. Why am I being assessed FFPA?
  5. Why do I both pay a tax to a fire protection district and the FFPA to DNR?
  6. What are the current FFPA rates and who sets them?
  7. My property tax statement said I owed $17.90. I applied for and received a refund, but it was only for $17.40. What happened to the other $0.50?
  8. Why is the FFPA acreage for my parcel smaller than the actual size of my parcel?
  9. Are any private and state forest lands exempt from this assessment?
  10. If I own several small parcels, must I pay the minimum assessment on each one?
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