National Wildland Fire Management and Natural Resource Training and Workforce Development
Active
- Assistance listing
- 15.969
- Agency
-
National Park Service
Department of the Interior
- Grant awards
- 5 $2,225,112 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Assistance type
-
- Cooperative Agreement
- Treasury account
-
- 14-1125-0-1-302
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The Department of the Interior National Park Service (CFDA 15.969) funds wildland fire management training and workforce development programs, with the most recent grant award issued July 14, 2025.
This program supports hazardous fuels reduction, prescribed burn projects, and hands-on training for wildland firefighters and natural resource managers. Recipients operate workforce development crews—including women's fire crews, veterans' fire corps programs, and youth training initiatives—that combine practical fuels work (chainsaw operations, burn pile preparation, fire line deployment) with formal certifications such as NWCG wildland firefighter qualifications. Projects also encompass fire response, rehabilitation, assessment, planning, monitoring, treatment, and maintenance activities on federal land and adjacent non-federal property and communities. Training covers wilderness medicine, fire management safety, incident command, and employee orientation. Eligible applicants include state and local governments, federally recognized Indian Tribes, private and public nonprofits, for-profit organizations, and institutions of higher education.
All five grants awarded between August 2024 and July 2025 were structured as Cooperative Agreements, typically funded for five years. The National Park Service National Office administered four awards totaling $2.1 million in federal dollars; the Northeast Region administered one award of $127 thousand. Combined federal dollars obligated across the portfolio reached $2.2 million, with total obligated dollars (including non-federal match) at $2.9 million. Recent awards ranged from approximately $95 thousand to $2.08 million. Representative recent recipients include a women's fire crew program in Alaska ($177 thousand), a veterans fire corps across three NPS regions ($2.08 million), and youth-focused fuels training around Alaska parklands ($95 thousand).
An open Cooperative Agreement opportunity, CORE Wildland Fire Training Crews (P25AS00012), solicits proposals to establish training crews for women, veterans, or youth with a May 24, 2029 deadline. Individual cooperative agreements are typically funded for five years; funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is available through Fiscal Year 2026.
Objective and description
- Objective
The goal of this listing is to provide financial assistance to reduce and mitigate the risk of catastrophic wildland fires on federal land and/or adjacent non-federal land and communities and their natural resources. This will be accomplished through
- Description
This listing provides for financial assistance to develop skills and training for those with little or no experience in wildland fire and natural resource management.
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
State and local governments, federally recognized Indian Tribes, private, public, profit, nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher education.
- Uses of assistance
Hazardous fuels reduction activities are restricted to Federal lands, or adjacent nonfederal land for activities that benefit resources on Federal land. Assistance can be used to help the NPS support community-based efforts addressing defensible space and fuels management issues; support outreach and education efforts associated with fuels management and risk reduction activities; and increase the effectiveness of rural fire protection. Funding is highly variable each fiscal year.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
Individual cooperative agreements are typically funded for five years. For any cooperative agreement using BIL-funding, this is available from Fiscal Year 2022-2026 and the type of funds are no year funds.
How to apply
- Preapplication coordination
Some wildland fire management activities may require that an environmental impact assessment already be completed before the start of the project.
- Criteria for selecting proposals
Specific evaluation criteria will be included in the funding announcements posted on www.grants.gov.
- Award procedure
Proposals received in response announcements on grants.gov are reviewed on the basis of a competitive, merit-based review process, and are rated in accordance with the evaluation criteria stated in the announcement. Awards may be made to the highest rated proposals based on the amount of funding available each year.
- Time to approval or disapproval
Varies depending on the type and complexity of the project. Further information will be available for each specific project at the time the funding opportunity announcement is posted on www.grants.gov and may be obtained by contacting the Program Manager listed as the point of contact. Generally 30 - 120 days.
- Appeals
None. Final award decisions are not subject to appeal; however, the National Park Service will provide applicants with information on why their proposals were not selected for award, upon request.
Grant opportunities
| Opportunity | Status | Posted | Applications due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creating Opportunities for Relevant Experience (CORE) Wildland Fire Training Crews | Open |
Grant awards
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Conservation Legacy | $1,771,444 | 80% |
| 2 | The Student Conservation Association, Inc. | $358,884 | 16% |
| 3 | Alaska Department Of Natural Resources | $94,785 | 4% |
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2025 | $1,077,030 |
| FY2024 | $1,148,083 |
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 15.969?
Assistance Listing 15.969 is National Wildland Fire Management and Natural Resource Training and Workforce Development, a federal grant program run by National Park Service (Department of the Interior).
What is the CFDA number for National Wildland Fire Management and Natural Resource Training and Workforce Development?
Its CFDA number is 15.969: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 15.969 awarded?
5 grant awards under 15.969 have obligated $2,225,112 in federal funds to 3 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 15.969?
The recipients obligated the most under National Wildland Fire Management and Natural Resource Training and Workforce Development are Conservation Legacy ($1,771,444), The Student Conservation Association, Inc. ($358,884) and Alaska Department Of Natural Resources ($94,785).
How much did 15.969 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 15.969 obligated $1,077,030 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 15.969?
1 listed opportunity under 15.969 is open or forecasted. The latest, Creating Opportunities for Relevant Experience (CORE) Wildland Fire Training Crews, was posted on May 24, 2024.
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