Reduce wildfire risk
Grant Website and Grant Guidelines
Grant Deadline
Applications will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. EST, Feb. 28, 2025.
Wildfire grants up to $10,000,000
Community Wildfire Defense Grants (CWDG) help communities and Tribes plan for and reduce wildfire risk and implement the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy.
Launched in 2022, the $1 billion five-year competitive grant program funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law prioritizes communities that:
- Are in an area identified as having high or very high wildfire hazard potential,
- Are low income or,
- Have been impacted by a severe disaster within the previous 10 years which increased wildfire risk and/or hazard.
Funds can be used to:
- Develop and revise Community Wildfire Protection Plans
- Implement projects described in a Community Wildfire Protection Plan that are less than ten years old.
There are two categories of projects that can be applied for and will be evaluated separately:
For Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) Development or Revision: One of the fundamental building blocks in creating a fire adapted community is the development, adoption and continuous use of a well-prepared CWPP. In some cases, a community may choose to utilize a FEMA-approved hazard mitigation plan or Tribal hazard mitigation plan with a wildfire component that meets the same objectives of a CWPP.
For project implementation: The project must be described in a Community Wildfire Protection Plan that is less than 10-years old.
What this grant does for your agency
The maximum amount of Federal funding awarded to any one community or Tribe via this competitive process is:
$250,000 for the creation or updating of a Community Wildfire Protection Plan.
$10 million for a project described within a Community Wildfire Protection Plan less than 10 years old.
For planning purposes, the total Federal funding available through the CWDG competitive process could be up to $200 million for the third round.
Required matching funds:
10% non-Federal match for proposals to develop or update a Community Wildfire Protection Plan.
25% non-federal match for proposals to implement projects described within a Community Wildfire Protection Plan.
Communities meeting the definition of underserved, Indian Tribes, /ANCs, and Pacific Islands may request a waiver of match.
Agencies awarded the USDA Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program receive funding up to $250,000 for the creation or updating of a Community Wildfire Protection Plan, or up to $10 million for a project described within a Community Wildfire Protection Plan less than 10 years old.
Only a limited number of grants will be awarded.
Grant Eligibility
For full eligibility details, see the Grant Guidelines:
Entities eligible to apply for at-risk communities for funding under the CWDG include:
- Units of local governments representing communities located in an area with a risk of wildfires,
- Indian Tribes (please apply through either the Indian Tribes/Alaska Native Corporations specific notice or the applicable regional notice),
- Non-profit organizations including homeowner associations that assist such communities,
- State forestry agencies (including U.S. territories and interests), and
- Alaska Native Corporations (please apply through either the Indian Tribes/Alaska Native Corporations specific notice or the applicable regional notice).
About the USDA
Established in 1905, the Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is the nation’s foremost federal forestry organization. The agency is a world leader in forest research, providing leadership in the sustainable management, conservation, use, and stewardship of natural and cultural resources on national forests and grasslands in the United States. More
Grant Deadline
Grant applications are due no later than 11:59 p.m. EST, Feb. 28, 2025.