Press Release
Posted:
Washington – Today, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) announced that the United States Department of Agriculture has launched a new $1 billion Community Wildfire Defense Grant program. This program, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed by Congress, is designed to assist at-risk communities, including Tribal communities, non-profit organizations, state forestry agencies and Alaska Native corporations with planning for and mitigating wildfire risks.
“Climate change has drastically increased the duration and severity of fire season, and as we deal with the lasting implications of devastating wildfires, we must invest in resilience programs to protect our communities,” said Thompson. “The Community Wildfire Defense Grant program is going to provide the resources necessary to create wildfire protection plans, address wildfire infrastructure and resilience, and conduct training and preparation exercises. I encourage all eligible entities within our communities to apply for this program and help us stay safe from wildfires.”
Rep. Thompson voted for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law on November 5th, 2021.
Individual grants will fund up to $250,000 to create and update community wildfire protection plans or conduct outreach and education, and up to $10 million for associated infrastructure and resilience projects. Local and Tribal governments are encouraged to conduct planning exercises to assist their communities with wildfire preparedness, response and adaptation efforts. Projects must be completed within five years of the award obligation. The number of projects selected will be determined by available funding, which is $200 million annually.
More information and applications are available at the Community Wildfire Defense Grants webpage.