2024 arizona community wildfire defense grants match waived

The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management (FOA) was awarded a $6,356,034 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service's Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Community Wildfire Defense Grants program (CFDA 10.720). The award, effective September 16, 2024, supports the development and implementation of community wildfire protection plans (CWPPs) to mitigate wildfire risks for at-risk communities in Arizona. Key activities include conducting wildfire risk assessments, reducing hazardous fuels, establishing defensible spaces, and improving community wildfire response capabilities, with the ultimate goal of creating fire-adapted communities and reducing potential loss of life and property from wildfires. The funding will be used to deliver these critical forestry and fire management services across Arizona's 22 million acres of forests and woodlands, with the USDA Forest Service's Region 3 - Southwestern Region serving as the primary funding agency.