WILDFIRE RESILIENCE IWG INVENTORY (Working Document) 

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY July 25, 2022 1 

Federal Wildfire Resources

This document describes a variety of pre-disaster Federal grant and cost-share programs 

across USDA and FEMA that can support community-led efforts to prepare for wildfire. 

FEMA Resources for Communities

US Fire Administration State Fire Training Grants

The US Fire Administration (USFA) provides a $20,000 grant each year to each state fire training agencies to bolster 

the delivery of National Fire Academy classes to career and volunteer fire and emergency services agencies from 

state, local, Tribal, and territorial organizations.

Eligibility How to Access Timeline to Apply/Receive Assistance

State Fire Training Agencies State Fire Training Agency 

https://www.usfa.fema.gov/pocs 

A Notice of Funding Opportunity 

(NOFO is issued to state fire training 

agencies who then apply to the 

USFA). 

Assistance to Firefighters Grant Programs 

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Programs fund critically needed resources to equip and train emergency 

personnel, enhance efficiencies, and support community resilience. 

Eligibility How to Access Timeline to Apply/Receive Assistance

FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters 

Grant (AFG) Program provide funds 

directly to eligible applicants to

enhance their response 

capabilities to, and more effectively 

protect the health and safety of the 

public and emergency response 

personnel from, fire and other 

related hazards.

Under the AFG Program, Wildland 

Firefighter and Wildland Fire Officer 

training courses, basic Wildland 

firefighting equipment, Wildland 

Eligible applicants include fire 

departments, nonaffiliated EMS 

organizations, and SFTAs operating 

in any of the 50 states, as well as 

fire departments in the District of 

Columbia, the Commonwealth of the 

Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. 

Virgin Islands, Guam, American 

Samoa, the Commonwealth of 

Puerto Rico, or any federally 

recognized Indian tribe or tribal 

organization.

FEMA publishes a Notice of Funding 

Opportunity (NOFO) that generally 

has a deadline of 30-days from the 

application period opening.
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Eligibility How to Access Timeline to Apply/Receive Assistance

Personal Protective Equipment 

(PPE), and Wildland Fire Apparatus

are eligible. 

FEMA’s Staffing for Adequate Fire 

and Emergency Response (SAFER) 

Grant Program provides funds 

directly to eligible applicants to 

assist in increasing the number of 

firefighters to help communities 

meet industry minimum standards 

and attain 24-hourstaffing to 

provide adequate fire protection 

from fire and fire-related hazards. 

Under the SAFER Grant, funding for 

wildland firefighter training and 

wildland PPE are eligible. 

Eligible applicants include fire 

departments and national, state, 

local, federally recognized tribal, 

and non-profit interest organizations 

operating in any of the 50 states, as 

well as fire departments in the 

District of Columbia, the 

Commonwealth of the Northern 

Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin 

Islands, Guam, American Samoa, 

the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, 

or any federally recognized Indian 

tribe or tribal organization.

FEMA publishes a Notice of Funding 

Opportunity (NOFO) that generally 

has a deadline of 30-days from the 

application period opening.

FEMA’s Fire Prevention and Safety 

(FP&S) Grant Program provides 

funding directly to eligible 

applicants for fire prevention 

programs and supporting 

firefighter health and safety 

research and development. 

Under the FP&S Grant, Wildland 

Urban Interface [WUI] projects such 

as community risk assessments, 

adoption or reinstatement of WUI 

fire codes, and WUI 

education/awareness projects are 

eligible.

Eligible applicants include fire 

departments and national, state, 

local, tribal, and non-profit interest 

organizations, such as academic 

(e.g., universities), public health, 

occupational health and injury

prevention institutions operating in 

any of the 50 states, as well as fire 

departments in the District of 

Columbia, the Commonwealth of the 

Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. 

Virgin Islands, Guam, American 

Samoa, the Commonwealth of 

Puerto Rico, or any federally 

recognized Indian tribe or tribal 

organization.

FEMA publishes a Notice of Funding 

Opportunity (NOFO) that generally 

has a deadline of 30-days from the 

application period opening.

FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program 

Funds are provided to state, local, Tribal, and territorial governments so that they can rebuild in a way that reduces 

or mitigates future disaster losses in communities nationwide. Each project submitted to FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation 

Assistance (HMA) grant programs for funding are required to meet basic eligibility criteria by being cost effective, 

technically feasible and effective, and in compliance with all applicable Environmental Historic Preservation laws. 

FEMA-approved Hazard Mitigation Plans are also required to apply for funding. 
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Wildfire projects require significant environmental and cultural reviews, including coordination with resource 

agencies, assessment of environmental and cultural impacts, and more scrutiny on feasibility and costeffectiveness. This process is intended to ensure that considerations are made to avoid or minimize impacts a 

project may have on sensitive and culturally-important resources and can require FEMA to solicit public comment.

Learn more about the HMA grant programs and wildfire mitigation by visiting FEMA.gov. 

Eligibility How to Access Timeline to Apply/Receive Assistance

FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant 

Program (HMGP) is dedicated to 

breaking the cycle of disaster 

damage, reconstruction, and 

repeated damage. Hazard 

mitigation includes long-term 

solutions that reduce the impact of 

disasters in the future. 

Eligible states, territories, the 

District of Columbia, and Federallyrecognized Tribes can apply and 

submit applications on behalf of 

sub-applicants for funding via 

the National Emergency 

Management Information System, 

which is the grants management 

system to apply for and manage 

HMGP grants.

Homeowners, business operators, 

and non-profit organizations cannot 

apply directly to FEMA, but can be 

included in a sub-application 

submitted by an eligible subapplicant. For more information, 

please contact your local 

government or state to apply for 

HMGP funding.

Up to 12 months following a 

presidentially-declared major 

disaster. Application extensions may 

be requested.

The application deadline to apply for 

the $3.46 billion that was authorized 

through HMGP for the 59 declared 

disasters for COVID-19 was Aug. 5, 

2022, unless an extension was 

requested.

FEMA’s HMGP Post Fire grant 

program provides assistance 

available to help communities 

implement hazard mitigation 

measures after wildfire disasters. 

Eligible states, Federally-recognized 

Tribes, the District of Columbia, and 

territories affected by fires resulting 

in a Fire Management Assistance 

Grant (FMAG) declaration on or after 

October 5, 2018 can submit 

applications on behalf of subapplicants for funding via 

the National Emergency 

Management Information System, 

which is the grants management 

system to apply for and manage 

HMGP Post Fire grants.

Homeowners, business operators, 

and non-profit organizations cannot 

apply directly to FEMA, but can be 

included in a subapplication 

The application period opens with 

the state or territory's first FMAG 

declaration of the fiscal year and 

closes six months after the end of 

that fiscal year. Application 

extensions may be requested.

Following the FMAG, FEMA has precalculated funding amounts so that 

eligible applicants know what is 

available.
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Eligibility How to Access Timeline to Apply/Receive Assistance

submitted by an eligible 

subapplicant. For more information 

please contact your local 

government or state to apply for 

HMGP funding. 

FEMA’s Building Resilient 

Infrastructure and Communities 

(BRIC) program provides support 

to states, local communities, 

Tribes, the District of Columbia, 

and territories as they undertake 

hazard mitigation projects, 

reducing the risks they face from 

disasters and natural hazards.

Eligible states, Federally-recognized 

Tribes, the District of Columbia, and 

territories can apply and submit 

applications on behalf of subapplicants for funding via the FEMA 

GO grant management system.

Learn more about the FEMA GO 

system, including user guides and 

templates. Or directly access the 

FEMA GO portal at go.fema.gov. 

Homeowners, business operators, 

and non-profit organizations cannot 

apply directly to FEMA, but can be 

included in a sub-application 

submitted by an eligible subapplicant. For more information, 

please contact your local 

government or state to apply for 

BRIC funding.

FEMA publishes an annual Notice of 

Funding Opportunity in late fall that 

generally has a deadline of 120-days 

from the application period opening. 

On July 20, 2022, President Biden 

announced that there will be $2.295 

billion made available for the Fiscal 

Year 2022 BRIC funding cycle as part 

of the Administration’s efforts to 

address climate change. This more 

than doubles the funding available to 

proactively reduce vulnerability to 

disasters including drought, wildfires, 

flood, hurricanes, and other hazards.

USDA Resources Available to Communities

Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program

The Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program was authorized and funded in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and 

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. Funding is available for a 5-year period, Fiscal Year 2022 

through Fiscal Year 2026.

Eligibility How to Access Timeline to Apply/Receive Assistance

• At-risk community (will not be 

restricted to HFRA definition)

• For project implementation: 

Described in a CWPP that is 

not more than 10-years old

Notice of Funding Opportunities 

(NOFO) information will be available 

on

Approximately sixty days from NOFO 

publication
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Eligibility How to Access Timeline to Apply/Receive Assistance

• Entity type: local governments, 

Indian Tribes, non-profit 

organizations, state forestry 

agencies, Alaska Native 

Corporations

https://www.fs.usda.gov/managingland/fire/grants

Wildland Urban Interface Grant Program

The Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) competitive grant program is managed as part of the State Fire Capacity 

program. State Fire Capacity funding is used for competitive grants to local communities and other organizations to 

assist with mitigating risk from wildfire within the WUI. Grants are available and awarded through a competitive 

process with emphases on hazard fuel reduction in the WUI, information and education, assessment and planning, 

and monitoring through community and landowner action.

Eligibility How to Access Timeline to Apply/Receive 

Assistance

Please contact your state/territory 

forestry organization for more 

information.

Please contact your state/territory 

forestry organization for more 

information.

Please contact your state/territory 

forestry organization for more 

information.

Volunteer Fire Capacity Grant Program

The Volunteer Fire Capacity program is a competitive grant program managed by state forestry agencies that assists 

rural volunteer fire departments with improving their capacity and capability to suppress wildfires. Grant funding may 

be used for purposes such as training, equipment, and apparatus.

Eligibility How to Access Timeline to Apply/Receive Assistance

The application must be submitted 

by a volunteer fire district/fire 

department that responds to 

wildland fire and provides service 

to a rural area or a rural 

community with a population of 

10,000 or less.

Please contact your state/territory 

forestry organization for more 

information.

Please contact your state/territory 

forestry organization for more 

information.

Landscape Scale Restoration Program

The Landscape Scale Restoration Program is a Forest Service State and Private Forestry competitive grant program 

that promotes collaborative, science-based restoration of priority forest landscapes and furthers priorities identified 

in State Forest Action Plans or equivalent restoration strategies. Landscape Scale Restoration projects cross 

multiple jurisdictions, including Tribal, state and local government, and private forest land, to address large-scale 

issues such as wildfire risk reduction, watershed protection and restoration, and the spread of invasive species, 

insect infestation and disease.
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Eligibility How to Access Timeline to Apply/Receive Assistance

State forestry agencies or 

appropriate state agencies, units of 

local government, Indian Tribes, 

non-profit organizations, 

universities, and Alaska Native 

Corporations.

There are three regional RFPs which 

are expected to be released in 

August 2022 to apply for FY23 

funding. In addition, there is a Tribal 

RFP for Federally-recognized Tribes 

and Alaska Native Corporations with

an anticipated release in August 

2022. These opportunities will be 

posted on Grants.gov and 

applicants may check the national 

landing page for the Landscape 

Scale Restoration Program where 

updates will be posted. 

Website: 

https://www.fs.usda.gov/managingland/private-land/landscape-scalerestoration

POC: Margaret Haines - 

margaret.haines@usda.gov

Estimated release of RFPs is August 

2022. Application window is fall of 

2022 with funding decisions made in 

February 2023 and grant awards in 

June 2023. Total funding availability 

is contingent on FY23 

Appropriations. The program made 

$12.5M available in competitive 

grants in FY22. 

Regional Conservation Partnership Program 

State and local governments, Tribes, non-profits and others can apply to target conservation funding to certain 

geographies to address specific natural resource challenges. A majority of RCPP funding is provided directly to 

producers and landowners who implement conservation measures (for example, forest stand improvement) or place 

conservation easements on private lands.

Eligibility How to Access Timeline to Apply/Receive Assistance

Most state and local governmental 

entities, nonprofit organizations, 

and Federally-recognized Tribes. A 

full list of eligible entities is 

available in each RCPP funding 

announcement. Producers and 

landowners taking part in RCPP 

projects must also be eligible to 

participate in USDA conservation 

programs.

More information about the 

Regional Conservation Partnership 

Program is here. NRCS state offices 

manage RCPP projects. A list of 

RCPP State Coordinators is here. 

Interested entities are encouraged 

to contact the State Coordinator in 

the state in which they are 

interested in applying for a RCPP 

project.

Applicants submit proposals when 

national funding announcements are 

released. The FY 22 competition 

period is closed; the FY 23 funding 

announcements are likely to post in 

winter 2022/2023.
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Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Program

The Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership enables NRCS and the Forest Service to collaborate with 

agricultural producers and forest landowners to invest in conservation and restoration at a large-enough scale to 

make a difference. Working in partnership, and at this scale, helps to reduce wildfire threats, protect water quality 

and supply, and improve wildlife habitat for at-risk species.

Eligibility How to Access Timeline to Apply/Receive Assistance

Eligible partnering organizations 

include Tribal governments, local 

governments, nonprofits, private 

individual stakeholders, and other 

eligible non-Federal entities. 

Contact your local NRCS or Forest 

Service office. 

NRCS and Forest Service national 

offices will solicit proposals 

submissions for FY23 projects 

between May 24, 2022 and August 

5, 2022. Another solicitation for 

proposals is planned for spring 

2023.

USDA Resources Available for Ranchers, Farmers, and Owners of 

Private Forestland

Environmental Quality Incentive Program

This is a voluntary conservation program providing financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers and 

non-industrial forest managers to address natural resource concerns and deliver environmental benefits, such as 

improved water and air quality, conserved ground and surface water, increased soil health, reduced soil erosion and 

sedimentation, improved or created wildlife habitat, and mitigation against drought and increasing weather volatility.

Eligibility How to Access Timeline to Apply/Receive Assistance

Applicants may include individuals, 

legal entities, joint operations or 

Indian Tribes that have control of 

land and currently manage it for 

agricultural, forest and livestock 

production.

More information about the 

Environmental Quality Incentives 

Program is here. Prospective 

applicants may contact their local 

USDA Service Center and let them 

know they are interested in EQIP. A 

conservation planner will work with 

a prospective applicant to 

determine their eligibility. Applicants 

may learn more about the 

application process here. 

NRCS accepts EQIP applications 

year-round, and funding is provided 

through a competitive process. 
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Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)

Voluntary conservation program offering technical and financial assistance to help agricultural and forest producers 

take their conservation efforts to the next level and designed to compensate agricultural and forest producers who 

agree to increase their level of conservation by adopting additional conservation activities and maintaining their 

baseline level of conservation. 

Eligibility How to Access Timeline to Apply/Receive Assistance

Applicants may include individuals, 

legal entities, joint operations, or 

Indian Tribes that have control of 

land and currently manage it for 

agricultural, forest and livestock 

production.

More information about the 

Conservation Stewardship Program 

is here. Prospective applicants may 

contact their local USDA Service 

Center and let them know they are 

interested in CSP. A conservation 

planner will work with a prospective 

applicant to determine their

eligibility. Applicants may learn more 

about the application process here. 

NRCS accepts CSP applications yearround, and funding is provided 

through a competitive process.

Emergency Assistance for Livestock Honey Bees, and Farm-raised Fish (ELAP)

USDA-FSA’s Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-raised Fish (ELAP) provides financial 

assistance to eligible producers of livestock, honeybees and farm-raised fish for losses due to disease, certain 

adverse weather events or loss conditions. In 2021, USDA updated ELAP policy to help cover the cost of transporting 

feed for livestock that rely on grazing. By helping transport feed to livestock and livestock to feed, and by covering 

water hauling costs in key areas, this program helps keep ranchers ranching while preventing additional stress on 

drought-stricken land that may be vulnerable to fire.

Eligibility How to Access Timeline to Apply/Receive Assistance

This assistance can be leveraged 

by eligible producers in places 

where:

• Drought intensity is D2 for 

eight consecutive weeks as 

indicated by the U.S. 

Drought Monitor; 

• Drought intensity is D3 or 

greater; or 

• USDA has determined a 

shortage of local or 

regional feed availability. 

Information here about ELAP 

program.

Find your local Farm Service Agency 

here office here. 

The deadline to request all ELAP 

assistance for 2022 calendar year 

losses will be Jan. 31, 2023.
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DOI Resources Available for Communities

The America the Beautiful Challenge (ATBC) is funded by the Ecosystem Restoration provision for “Grants for 

Voluntary Restoration.” That proposal includes the following program priorities, which are explicitly complementary 

to the Community Wildfire Defense Grants:

• Strengthen Ecosystem and Community Resilience. Conserve and restore natural systems that help 

ecosystems and/or communities respond to, mediate, and recover from disturbances such as floods, 

wildfire, drought (e.g., enhancing a wetland to improve coastal resilience, invasive species prevention or 

removal to reduce wildfire risk, restoring fire resilient stand structure and species composition in fire prone 

forests, water conservation to address drought, expansion of wetlands to protect from flooding, grassland 

restoration to promote natural prairie ecosystems).

• Expand Habitat Connectivity. Conserve and restore priority habitat and stopover areas along key migratory 

routes; conserve, restore or improve fish passage; conserve or restore lands and/or waters that are critical 

to habitat connectivity; or expand and enhance wildlife corridors that contribute to larger-scale conservation 

efforts (e.g., removing and right-sizing culverts, removing encroaching trees from grassland and sagebrush 

ecosystems, rehabilitating areas damaged by fire, treating exotic/invasive vegetation to improve habitat 

values, or voluntary conservation easements to strengthen habitat connectivity).

Eligibility How to Access Timeline to Apply/Receive Assistance

Eligible organizations include state 

government agencies, territories of 

the United States, Indian Tribes, 

non-profit 501(c) organizations, 

local governments, municipal 

governments, and educational 

institutions. 

All application materials must be 

submitted online through National 

Fish and Wildlife 

Foundation’s Easygrants System: 

http://easygrants.nfwf.org

Applications were accepted through 

July 21, 2022. Another solicitation 

for proposals is planned for FY2023.