Project purpose of this agreement is to develop effective mitigation and risk reduction strategies for vulnerable wildland- urban interface communities

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service awarded $249,863 to Nenana Native Association through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Community Wildfire Defense Grants program (CFDA 10.720) on September 10, 2025, with a completion date of March 30, 2027. This Project Grant funds the development and implementation of comprehensive wildfire mitigation and risk reduction strategies specifically tailored for vulnerable wildland-urban interface communities in Alaska. The funded initiative encompasses a multifaceted approach to community protection, including planning for prescribed burns, ignition reduction, large wildfire preparedness, structure protection measures, landscape fuel management, non-fire fuels treatment, home and community preparedness initiatives, building code adjustments for fire adaptation, and post-fire recovery planning.

The grant award directly supports the federal program's primary objective of assisting at-risk communities, particularly underserved and tribal populations, in developing effective wildfire protection strategies on non-federal lands. As a federally recognized tribal government, Nenana Native Association qualifies as a priority applicant under the program. The funding enables the organization to address critical wildfire risks in rural Alaska through strategic mitigation planning and community-focused resilience measures designed to reduce vulnerability to catastrophic wildfire damage and loss.

Strategies will include planning for prescribed burns, ignition reduction, large wildfire preparedness, structure protection, landscape fuel management, non-fire fuels treatment, home and community preparedness, adjusting building codes for fire adaptation, and post-fire recovery planning.