Enhance montana's capacity for wildfire preparedness, effective response, and community engagement by supporting collaborative efforts among state, federal, and local partners

The Montana Department of Natural Resources & Conservation received a $401,600 Project Grant awarded on July 30, 2025, under the State & Private Forestry Cooperative Fire Assistance program (CFDA 10.698), administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. This award supports a comprehensive wildfire preparedness and response initiative spanning the five-year performance period through June 30, 2030. The project delivers personnel support for interagency coordination of wildfire suppression resources and community education, along with related operating expenses including safety and training supplies, computers, projectors, and educational outreach materials. Capital equipment funding supports fire engine development for state and county use, enhancing Montana's firefighting infrastructure.

The initiative focuses on Montana's high-risk wildland-urban interface areas, where approximately 63% of the state's homes are concentrated across just 1.5% of total land area. Key deliverables include implementation of Community Wildfire Protection Plans, homeowner education and resources, fire safety training programs, and collaborative fire planning among state, federal, and local partners. The project prioritizes approximately 500,000 acres identified in Montana's Forest Action Plan and Wildfire Risk Assessment as requiring wildfire risk reduction efforts, with the ultimate goal of strengthening community preparedness, reducing injury and property loss during wildfire events, and improving coordination among fire protection agencies statewide.

The scope includes fire equipment development, safety and training efforts, fire planning, wildfire operations, and the implementation of community wildfire protection plans - plans to reduce wildfire risk at a community-wide scale. The project aims to help communities prepare for wildfires by providing homeowner education and resources. The project is guided by montana's forest action plan and the montana wildfire risk assessment, which prioritize wildfire risk reduction and community adaptation. The project will take place statewide in montana, focusing on priority areas identified as high risk for wildfires in the montana forest action plan and montana wildfire risk assessment. Priority areas identified include approximately 500,000 acres in the wildland urban interface. The wildland urban interface in montana comprises only about 1.5% of the states land area, yet IT contains 63% of all homes in the state. The project is needed to help address the increasing wildfire risk, improve community preparedness, and ensure effective coordination and response among fire protection agencies. IT supports implementation of community wildfire protection plans and strengthens fire adapted community efforts, especially in the wildland-urban interface. Improved preparedness and response reduce the risk of injury, loss of life, and property damage during wildfire events. Funding will be used for personnel salaries and benefits for staff engaged in interagency coordination of wildfire suppression resources and community education, related operating expenses including supplies and travel, and capital equipment to support fire engine development for state and county use. Supplies include safety and training supplies, computers, projectors, outreach and education materials.