Federal Grant Award Summary

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service awarded the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation $885,030 on July 13, 2026, under the Cooperative Forestry Assistance program (CFDA 10.664) to support State Forest Action Plan implementation through May 31, 2031. This Project Grant funds enhanced staffing capacity to coordinate and implement cross-boundary forest management activities across Montana's 3.8 million priority acres, with particular focus on the 507,611 acres within the Wildland-Urban Interface and 123,240 acres containing drinking water sources. The funding enables collaborative planning and implementation of fuels treatments and forest health improvements to reduce wildfire risk and address forest degradation caused by insects and disease.

In addition to on-the-ground forest management coordination, the grant supports technical assistance and outreach services designed to empower private landowners and communities to understand forest health risks and management responsibilities within fire-prone landscapes. Staff supported by this funding will work with partner organizations and collaborative groups to guide and coordinate Montana Forest Action Plan project implementation in priority landscapes throughout the state, thereby maintaining and building state capacity for effective, cross-boundary forest stewardship.