U.S. Forest Service State Fire Assistance (SFA)


PROGRAM & ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

Funds are available for all fire management activities including training, planning, hazardous fuel treatments, fire prevention education programs and purchase and maintenance of equipment. This program emphasizes fire planning and hazardous fuel mitigation near communities at risk of catastrophic wildfire.

Programs or activities proposed for SFA funds must meet the following criteria:

  • Projects must be in the WUI and protecting a Community-at-Risk (CAR).
  • Projects not on Federal lands.
  • Programs, projects, or activities must address areas identified and prioritized in a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) or equivalent document.

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

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.

PROHIBITED PROGRAM EXPENDITURES
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).

2012 FUNDING

It is unknown at this time how much funding will be available during the 2012 cycle.

Information on matching contributions or in-kind goods and services:

  • They shall not be derived from other federal assistance programs
  • They shall not be used as an in-kind contribution toward cost matching requirements for any other grant program
  • Their value will be determined using scales and estimate appropriate for the local area
  • They will not include grant application preparation fees

Total value of USFS projects selected for funding in FFY 2011: $8.0 million

Average size of USFS grants in FFY 2011: $102,645


Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Community Assistance

PROGRAM & ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

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 may be focused on both Federal (with prior approval from local BLM field staff) 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 an interdisciplinary and interagency collaborative process.

Grant projects 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.

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.

PROHIBITED PROGRAM EXPENDITURES

Purchase of real property, capital assets, construction, or fees for recipients to prepare assistance agreements.

2012 FUNDING

It is unknown at this time how much funding will be available during the 2012 cycle. 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.

Additional information on matching contributions or in-kind goods and services:

  • They shall not be derived from other federal assistance programs
  • They shall not be used as an in-kind contribution toward cost matching requirements for any other grant program
  • Their value will be determined using scales and estimate appropriate for the local area
  • They will not include grant application preparation fees

Total value of BLM projects selected for funding in FFY 2011: $166,505.
Average size of BLM grants selected for funding in FFY 2011: $83,253.


Fish and Wildlife Service

PROGRAM & ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

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.

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

  • 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).
  • Projects not on Federal lands
  • Programs, projects, or activities must address areas identified and prioritized in a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP).

Ranking criteria

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

Administrative costs related to allowable expenditures will be considered, but must be minimized in all cases.

PROHIBITED PROGRAM EXPENDITURES
Purchase of real property, capital assets, construction, or fees for recipients to prepare assistance agreements.

2012 FUNDING It is unknown at this time how much funding will be available during the 2012 cycle.

Total value of FWS projects selected for funding in FFY 2011: $0


National Parks Service Community Assistance/WUI

PROGRAM & ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

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.

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

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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:
  • They shall not be derived from other federal assistance programs
  • They shall not be used as an in-kind contribution toward cost matching requirements for any other grant program
  • Their value will be determined using scales and estimate appropriate for the local area
  • They will not include grant application preparation fees

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

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.

Administrative costs related to allowable expenditures will be considered, but must be minimized in all cases.

PROHIBITED PROGRAM EXPENDITURES

Purchase of real property, capital assets, construction, or fees for recipients to prepare assistance agreements.

2012 FUNDING
It is unknown at this time how much funding will be available during the 2012 cycle.
Total value of NPS projects selected for funding in FFY 2011: $123,000.
Average size of NPS grants selected for funding in FFY 2011: $61,500.