This funding will enable the state's forestry agency to administer the community wildfire defense grant program and to provide technical advice, outreach, and education to entities that are or may…

The Department of Agriculture Forest Service R9-Eastern Region awarded the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources $390,000 on February 13, 2026, under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Community Wildfire Defense Grants program (CFDA 10.720).

The funding supports the recipient's administration of the Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program and delivery of technical advice, outreach, and education to entities applying for or considering application to wildfire defense grants. The work spans Pennsylvania and runs through June 30, 2030. The majority of funding covers salaries and fringe benefits for three personnel assigned to the Division of Forest Fire Protection, with the remainder allocated to travel and supplies for these employees.

The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, a division of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, functions as the prime recipient. The award represents a project grant, the assistance type under which the federal program provides financial assistance to states, tribes, communities, and organizations to develop and update community wildfire protection plans and implement protection projects for at-risk communities, with particular focus on underserved and Tribal communities.

This funding will enable the state's forestry agency to administer the community wildfire defense grant program and to provide technical advice, outreach, and education to entities that are or may be interested in applying for a grant. Funding will mainly be used for salaries and fringe benefits of three (3) personnel, part of the division of forest fire protection, to do this work throughout pennsylvania. Remaining portion of the grant will be used for these employees' travel and supplies.