This award supports two critical positions for coordinating and deploying state firefighters and equipment to meet national wildland fire response needs

The National Association of State Foresters received a $492,677 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service under the State & Private Forestry Cooperative Fire Assistance program (CFDA 10.698), awarded August 26, 2025, with completion targeted for September 30, 2027. This award funds two critical personnel positions essential to coordinating and deploying state firefighting resources to address national wildland fire response requirements. The Senior Director of Fire Technology will oversee system development projects aligned with the National Fire Plan and National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy, while the Fire Director will facilitate state resource sharing and optimize state firefighting capacity availability through the National Interagency Fire Center.

These funded positions strengthen interagency coordination mechanisms and enhance state-level fire management infrastructure by establishing dedicated leadership roles focused on expediting resource deployment and managing technology initiatives that support the nation's wildfire suppression and prevention capabilities across non-federal and rural lands.

The senior director of fire technology will manage system development projects identified in the national fire plan and national cohesive wildland fire management strategy and the fire director will expedite state resource sharing and maximize the availability of state firefighting capacity to meet needs through the national interagency fire center.