New Grant Programs for Wildland Firefighting Infrastructure

• By: admin
• On: 05/31/2022 17:22:24
• In: Association News

By Michelle S. Mazzola, Resource Solutions LLC in Leavenworth
In November 2021, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill to support state, local, tribal and territorial governments as well as other partners, was signed into law by President Joe Biden.  This Bill contains a significant amount of new funding for Wildland Firefighting Infrastructure grants. 
These grants will potentially pay for numerous items including pre-fire planning, equipment, apparatus and personnel.  If your fire district/department is located adjacent to USFS, DOI or DNR lands, then you are eligible for even more grant funding.
 
GRANT PROGRAMS INCLUDE:
Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program For At-Risk Communities (USDA Forest Service)
Funding:  $1,000,000,000
Description: Provides grants to communities at risk from wildfire to develop or revise their community wildfire protection plans and carry out projects described within those plans.
 
 
Wildfire Management – Preparedness (U. S. Department of Interior)
Funding:  $245,000,000
Description:  Funding to hire & train people, purchase equipment for early wildfire detection, real-time monitoring and radios to support interoperability with interagency partners; also to purchase slip-on tanks.
 
Forest Health Management on Federal Lands Program and Forest Health Management on Cooperative Lands Program (USDA Forest Service)
Funding:  $100,000,000
Description:  Funds to help create more fire-adapted communities through implementation of pre-fire  prevention and mitigation programs and risk reduction in the Wildland Urban Interface.
 
State Fire Assistance (USDA Forest Service)
Funding:  88,000,000
Description:  Funds the creation of fire-adapted communities by implementing pre-fire prevention and mitigation programs and emphasizing pre-fire planning and risk reduction in the Wildland Urban Interface.  Also training in safer initial attack responses to wildfires.
 
Volunteer Fire Assistance (USDA Forest Service)
Funding:  $20,000,000
Description:  Focus on increasing the capacity of local fire departments to provide initial attack on wildfires by providing additional firefighter training and assistance purchasing equipment.
 
Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (FEMA)
Funding:  $1,000,000,000
Description:  Funds hazard mitigation activities, including capability and capacity building and Mitigation Projects
Whether your fire district/department is located in Western Washington or Eastern Washington, now is the time to prepare a risk assessment of your wildfire-related needs so that you have them identified before the application periods for these grants begin.
 

For more information on these and other grant programs contact article author Michelle Mazzola, Resource Solutions LLC in Leavenworth via email at Michelle@ResourceSolutionsNow.com or phone 509/669-4442.