Funds are available to assist with hazardous fuels treatments, community wildfire protection planning and education addressing wildfire safety and hazard risk reduction within the wildland-urban interface (WUI). Treatments should be focused on both Federal and non-Federal lands and aimed toward protecting communities at risk (CAR) and resource values identified within a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) and/or Community Fire Plans with a interdisciplinary and interagency collaborative process.

Grant selections will be selected and prioritized, by the following criteria:

• Treatments and outreach and education activities targeting areas identified within a CWPP and/or Community Fire Plans with an interdisciplinary and interagency collaborative process with the Bureau of Land Management.
• Treatments protecting a community at risk and collaborated with BLM (Combined fuel breaks, etc) or treatments adjacent to BLM land.
• Adjacent means within the WUI adjacent to BLM land or where a wildland fire will threaten BLM land and is agreed upon as a high threat by the local BLM field office.
• WUI boundaries and definitions are identified within a CWPP or default to 1.5 miles under the Healthy Forests Restoration Act.
• Mechanical treatments that make biomass available to help off-set cost or stimulate local economies. (The Goal is for 25% of BLM’s mechanical treatments to include biomass).
• Developing a CWPP which focuses on CARs adjacent to BLM land and incorporating BLM projects.
• Developing a CWPP at a county-wide or large landscape level.
• Outreach and education activities within areas that are identified in a CWPP, but may not necessarily be outlined within the plan. or projects that will influence BLM lands
• Collaborative projects with well-leveraged dollars and aimed at landscape/watershed level of protection.
• All projects must be within the California BLM State boundaries.

The BLM uses the clearinghouse for planning purposes to select projects for the upcoming Federal fiscal year. This means that the project will be funded if adequate funds are made available in the next Federal fiscal year (FFY). Federal fiscal years begin Oct. 1. For example, the 2011 federal fiscal year begins Oct. 1, 2010.

Applicants should be able to complete projects within an 18-month grant term. If funded, applicants will be asked to report specific accomplishments, such as acres treated, and provide before, during and after photos. Achieving and reporting accomplishments is critical to BLM's ability to continue funding this grant program.

Cost share/match: 90/10, which means that the grant can account for 90% of the project's cost. The other 10% of the project's cost must come from non-federal sources, and can include cash and/or third-party in-kind.

It is unclear at this time how much funding will be available during the next FFY for 2011.

Total value of projects selected for funding in FFY 2009: $1.6 million.

Average size of grant selected for funding in FFY 2009: $100,000.

Total value of projects selected for funding in FFY 2010: $700,000.

Average size of grant selected for funding in FFY 2009: $70,000.

Community Assistance WUI funds are available for fire hazard mitigation and hazardous fuel reduction projects performed, usually on non-NPS property (in holdings, communities, subdivisions, etc immediately adjacent to NPS property), to mitigate the risk of potential adverse impacts from wildland fire to NPS lands and these adjacent properties. Emphasis and priority will be given to the areas identified through the state process as being wildland urban interface (WUI) communities.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Programs or activities proposed for WUI funds must meet the following criteria:

1. Programs or activities must be mutually beneficial to DOI/NPS and the receiving partner or community in protecting lives and property and reducing wildfire-related loss and suppression costs. "Mutually beneficial" means the community receiving an award must be deemed at-risk from a fire ignited on the NPS federal lands or fires ignited on adjacent lands that threaten NPS federal lands.
2. Communities must be identified as a Community-at-Risk in the vicinity of Federal land, either listed on the federal register or through collaboration with their respective States.
3. Programs, projects, or activities must address areas identified and prioritized in a CWPP.

Priority will be given to programs or projects where recipients provide matching contributions or in-kind goods and services, with the following limits on in-kind goods and services:

1. They shall not be derived from other federal assistance programs
2. They shall not be used as an in-kind contribution toward cost matching requirements for any other federal assistance program
3. Their value will be determined using scales and estimate appropriate in the local area, with concurrence of the Agency Administrator and cooperators
4. They will not include grant administration costs and/or grant application preparation fees

The NPS recommends that applicants coordinate design of projects with their local Park.

The NPS uses the CA FSC clearinghouse for planning purposes to select projects for the upcoming federal fiscal year. This means that the project will be funded if adequate funds are made available in the next federal fiscal year (FFY). Federal fiscal years begin Oct. 1. For example, the 2010 federal fiscal year begins Oct. 1, 2009.

Applicants should be able to complete projects within an 18-month grant term. If funded, applicants will be asked to report specific accomplishments, such as acres treated, and provide before, during and after photos. Achieving and reporting accomplishments is critical to NPS's ability to continue funding this grant program.

PROHIBITED PROGRAM EXPENDITURES
Purchase of real property, capital assets, construction, or fees for recipients to prepare assistance agreements. Administrative costs related to allowable expenditures will be considered, but must be minimized in all cases.

It is estimated that up to $150,000 may be available during the next FFY for 2011.

Funds are available for cost-share treatments on non-Federal lands statewide for hazardous fuel reduction in high-hazard wildland-urban-interface areas, for development of Community Wildfire Protection Plans, and for prevention and mitigation education projects.

Hazardous fuel reduction proposals can include the purchase of needed supplies and equipment (such as chainsaws, personal protective equipment, hand tools, etc.).

Purchase of vehicles or heavy equipment such as tub grinders and other expensive assets will not be funded (suggest rental or lease of these items).

It is estimated that up to $8.5 million will be available for this funding cycle for grants throughout the state of California. The funding has two different cost share/match requirements:

• $3.5 million of the federal funding requires a 50/50 cost share/match, which means the federal funding can account for up to 50% of the project's cost. The remaining 50% must come from non-federal sources and can include cash and/or third-party in-kind.
• $5 million of the federal funding requires a 75/25 cost share/match, which means that the federal funding can account for 75% of the project's cost. The other 25% of the project's cost must come from non-federal sources, and can include cash and/or third-party in-kind.

Total value of projects selected for funding in FFY 2009: $19.5 million

Average size of grants in FFY 2009: $150,000

Total value of projects selected for funding in FFY 2008: $3.2 million

Average size of grants in FFY 2008: $80,000

Total value of projects selected for funding in FFY 2007: $2.3 million

Average size of grants in FFY 2007: $100,000

Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) funds are available for hazard mitigation projects which protect communities at risk to wildfire by reducing hazardous fuels (non-Federal lands), developing Community Wildfire Protection Plans (includes associated planning and compliance documents), and implementing wildfire education and outreach initiatives.

It is unclear at this time if or how much funding will be available for grant projects this next fiscal year.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Programs or activities proposed for WUI funds must meet the following criteria:

1. Projects must be in the WUI and protecting a Community-at-Risk (CAR) within the vicinity of Federal land (see Federal Register list or California Fire Alliance website) or a Community of Interest (COI) identified by USFWS (i.e., other communities adjacent to a National Wildlife Refuge, National Fish Hatchery or other USFWS landholdings).
2. Projects not on Federal lands
3. Programs, projects, or activities must address areas identified and prioritized in a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP).

PROHIBITED PROGRAM EXPENDITURES
Purchase of real property, capital assets, construction, or fees for recipients to prepare assistance agreements. Administrative costs related to allowable expenditures will be considered, but must be minimized in all cases.

RANKING CRITERIA

1. Recipients provide a 10% or higher matching contribution or in-kind goods and services, with the following limits on in-kind goods and services:
   1. They shall not be derived from other federal assistance programs
   2. They shall not be used as an in-kind contribution toward cost matching requirements for any other federal assistance program
   3. Their value will be determined using scales and estimate appropriate in the local area, with concurrence of the Agency Administrator and cooperators
   4. They will not include grant administration costs and/or grant application preparation fees
2. Project was ranked high though the CWPP process
3. Projects which protect, prepare, and outreach CARs/ COIs adjacent to USFWS lands (collaborative/recommended by USFWS).
4. Projects and plans which incorporate strategies, designs and educational messages to protect/benefit fish, wildlife and plants from potential project impacts and catastrophic fires (collaborative with USFWS or biological experts).
5. Projects incorporate monitoring and maintenance components
6. Mechanical projects that make biomass available to help off-set project costs or stimulate local economies.
7. Hazardous fuel reduction projects in Condition Class 2 or 3 and Fire Regime I, II, or III and a:
   1. prescribed fire project which does not exceed 4,500 acres
   2. mechanical project which does not exceed 1,000 acres
   3. project which does not use herbicides or pesticides
   4. project which does not create new permanent roads

The USFWS uses the CA FSC clearinghouse for planning purposes to select projects for the upcoming federal fiscal year. This means that the project will be funded if adequate funds are made available in the next federal fiscal year (FFY). Federal fiscal years begin October 1st. For example, the 2008 federal fiscal year begins October 1, 2007.

Total value of projects selected for funding in FFY 2010: $0

Total value of projects selected for funding in FFY 2009: $300,000

Average size of grants in FFY 2009: $50,000

Total value of projects selected for funding in FFY 2008: $100,000

Average size of grants in FFY 2008: $50,000