Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Community Wildfire Defense Grants

The Department of Agriculture Forest Service is funding community wildfire defense planning and mitigation projects through grants and cooperative agreements under CFDA 10.720, with the most recent award issued on August 26, 2026.

The program supports two primary activities: development and revision of community wildfire protection plans for nonfederal lands, and implementation of projects described in existing plans less than ten years old. Awards fund hazardous fuels reduction through mechanical thinning and prescribed burning, defensible space improvements around structures, roadside fuel breaks, forest health treatments, native seed propagation for post-fire recovery, community outreach and education, FireWise activation, and state administration of the program. Eligible applicants include communities at risk from wildfire, states, Indian Tribes, nonprofits, special districts, county and local governments, and higher education institutions. States and nonprofits frequently apply on behalf of at-risk communities. Grant awards typically span one to three years with possible extensions.

The program has issued 277 grants totaling $634.6 million in federal dollars since August 2022, with recent awards continuing through August 2026. The portfolio is overwhelmingly Project Grants (276 of 277 awards). Awards per year have declined from a peak of 92 in 2023 to 18 in 2026, likely reflecting the portfolio maturing across funding rounds. Funding is concentrated among five Forest Service regional offices: R6-Pacific Northwest leads by federal dollars obligated at $160.2 million across 41 awards; R5-Pacific Southwest ($152.7 million, 58 awards); R8-Southern ($87.3 million, 45 awards); R2-Rocky Mountain ($85 million, 26 awards); and R3-Southwestern ($67.4 million, 18 awards). These five regions account for 87 percent of all federal dollars obligated under the program.

Representative recent awards reflect the scope: Washington State received $28.6 million to develop and update community wildfire protection plans; Indian Valley defensible space fuels reduction in California was funded at $3.3 million; Hawaii received $4.6 million for native seed propagation and post-fire restoration; and Georgia received $400 thousand to manage state pass-through grants to local communities. Smaller awards support individual county plan development ($69 thousand to $340 thousand range) and state administration roles ($55 thousand to $444 thousand).

Four opportunities posted November 21, 2024, with March 14, 2025 due dates remain open: Community Wildfire Defense Grant 2024 (FY25) South, West, Northeast-Midwest, and Tribes tracks. Applications proceed through cwdg.forestrygrants.org or select state-sponsored portals. All four regional solicitations accept county governments, tribal governments both federally recognized and non-federally recognized, city and township governments, special districts, nonprofits (501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), state governments, and higher education institutions as applicants. The program prioritizes at-risk communities in high or very high wildfire hazard areas, low-income communities, and those impacted by recent severe disasters.