This project will enable state partners to successfully manage and implement the community wildfire defense program and provide assistance to at-risk communities with planning for and implementing…

The University of Nebraska's Board of Regents received a $277,777.78 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region, under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Community Wildfire Defense Grants program (CFDA 10.720). Awarded on June 16, 2025, with a completion date of September 30, 2029, this grant enables the University of Nebraska to support state partners in successfully managing and implementing the Community Wildfire Defense Program across Nebraska. The funded activities focus on providing technical assistance and planning support to at-risk communities for developing and implementing comprehensive wildfire mitigation activities designed to reduce wildfire risk on non-federal lands.

The grant supports the development and implementation of community wildfire protection initiatives through research, planning services, and technical assistance delivered by the University of Nebraska's Office of Sponsored Programs. These services align with the broader Community Wildfire Defense Grants program objectives, which fund hazardous fuel reduction, defensible space creation, community education, prescribed burn planning, and landscape restoration efforts within the wildland-urban interface. The four-year project period positions the University of Nebraska to leverage its multidisciplinary research capabilities and federal partnership experience to advance wildfire resilience across Nebraska communities.

This project will enable state partners to successfully manage and implement the community wildfire defense program and provide assistance to at-risk communities with planning for and implementing wildfire mitigation activities to reduce wildfire risk.