The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service announced the agency is accepting applications for the Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) program to assist at-risk communities, including tribes and Alaska Native Corporations, with planning for and mitigating wildfire risks.
Now in its third year, this competitive program is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Individual grants of up to $250,000 can be used to develop and update community wildfire protection plans, while grants of up to $10 million can be used for wildfire resilience projects that implement community wildfire protection plans.
The number of projects selected will be determined by available funding, which is up to $200 million for this round of funding. Projects must be completed within five years of the award.
In the first two years of the program, 45 projects across Washington and Oregon received more than $100 million in funding to develop community wildfire protection plans and implement strategic wildfire mitigation projects, investing millions in the safety of high-risk forest communities across both states.
In all, the Forest Service awarded more than $400 million across 36 states, two territories and 18 tribes. Learn more on the Community Wildfire Defense Grants – Funded Proposals web page and story map.
“Fire is a natural and necessary part of our ecosystems, but it can quickly become destructive if not managed responsibly. These grants empower communities to take proactive steps, creating safer conditions for both people and the landscapes we depend on,” said Jacque Buchanan, Pacific Northwest Regional Forester.
Community Wildfire Defense Grants help provide forest communities and partners thin overstocked stands, create shaded fuel breaks, and develop or update Community Wildfire Protection Plans to ensure forests and communities are better prepared for and resilient to wildfires.
“The Forest Service plays a critical role in managing forests and grasslands across the region, but wildfire resilience requires collaboration beyond agency boundaries,” said Buchanan. “These grants reflect our commitment to supporting local communities, tribal nations, and partners as they tackle this shared responsibility. Success in wildfire defense depends on collective action at every level.”
The Community Wildfire Defense Grant program prioritizes at-risk communities in areas identified as having high or very high wildfire hazard potential, that are low-income, and/or have been impacted by a severe disaster producing ongoing wildfire-related hazards to the community’s safety.
The program helps communities in the wildland urban interface meet the three goals of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy to maintain resilient landscapes, create fire-adapted communities, and improve wildfire response.
Grant-funded projects directly support the agency’s 10-year Wildfire Crisis Strategy to treat up to 20 million acres of national forests and grasslands and 30 million acres of other federal, state, tribal and private lands to reduce wildfire risk to communities, infrastructure and natural resources.
Application information
Applicants are encouraged to visit the Community Wildfire Defense Grant home page for more information, and to consult with state or Forest Service regional cooperative fire contacts listed in the Notices of Funding Opportunity when developing their proposals.
Notices of funding opportunities are available on Grants.gov (search for grant IDs: USDA-FS-2024-CWDG-CWSF and USDA-FS-2024-CWDG-TRIBES).
Applications will be accepted through February 28, 2025, until 8:59pm Pacific Standard Time (11:59pm, Eastern Standard Time).
Previous applications can be viewed at cwdg.forestrygrants.org.
Webinars
Informational webinars are being offered to assist prospective applicants.
All webinars have the same content, but Q&A for the Dec. 4 session will focus on tribal proposals and applications.
Pre-registration is required.
Webinars will be recorded, and recordings posted to the Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program information page.
Schedule & Registration Links
- Monday, December 2, 2024 11am-1pm PST (2pm-4pm EST) us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_6-i032QISWGJhNKj6g-UyA
- Wednesday, December 4, 2024 – tribal focused 9:30am-11:30am PST (12:30pm-2:30pm EST) us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_C6N_tnRGSwSgbZU0CFifrQ
- Friday, December 6, 2024 11am-1pm PST (2pm-4pm EST) us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Jnadv39gSPKwBv9qYqeAGQ
Office Hours
The CWDG program will offer office hours via webinar to assist applicants with additional questions. The first office hours webinar is scheduled for December 18, 2024. Registration for office hours is not required. Visit Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program for more information.
Community Navigator support
The Forest Service recently launched a Community Navigator Program to help landowners, state, local and Tribal governments, businesses, nonprofits and other organizations find more information about funding opportunities and technical assistance they may be eligible to apply for to assist in efforts that promote the health and resiliency of America’s forests.
Navigator services are provided through community partners, many of which have specific experience identifying and addressing needs for specific communities, landowners, and organizations.
Community navigator program managers and partners can help any individual or entity with interest but limited experience in partnering with USDA and the Forest Service, including identifying and applying for grants and other technical assistance from these agencies.
For more information, visit: fs.usda.gov/working-with-us/navigators.
The mission of the USDA Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages 193 million acres of National Forest System land, provides stewardship assistance to non-federal forest landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world. For more information, visit the USDA Forest Service website.
