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Who Is Eligible to Apply and How?

An aerial view of two people feeding tree branches into a red tracked wood chipper along a dirt road
The Hogback Ridge Fuels Crew is clearing tree brush and loading into a chipper to clear land to prevent a catastrophic wildfire from occurring. This is one of many projects nationwide funded by a Community Wildfire Defense Grant in 2023. 

How to Apply for the Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program

Apply now for a Community Wildfire Defense Grant. Notices of funding opportunities are available on Grants.gov. Search keyword CWDG or click on links below under Opportunities.

Applications will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on March 14, 2025. 

Applicants are strongly encouraged to develop proposals in consultation with state or Forest Service regional cooperative fire contacts listed in the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Who Can Apply? Entities eligible to apply for at-risk communities for funding under the CWDG include:

  • Units of local governments representing communities located in an area with a risk of wildfires,

  • Indian Tribes (please apply through either the Indian Tribes/Alaska Native Corporations specific notice or the applicable regional notice),

  • Non-profit organizations including homeowner associations that assist such communities,

  • State forestry agencies (including U.S. territories and interests), and

  • Alaska Native Corporations (please apply through either the Indian Tribes/Alaska Native Corporations specific notice or the applicable regional notice).

There are two categories of projects that can be applied for and will be evaluated separately:

  • For Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) Development or Revision: One of the fundamental building blocks in creating a fire adapted community is the development, adoption and continuous use of a well-prepared CWPP. In some cases, a community may choose to utilize a FEMA-approved hazard mitigation plan or Tribal hazard mitigation plan with a wildfire component that meets the same objectives of a CWPP.

  • For project implementation: The project must be described in a Community Wildfire Protection Plan that is less than 10-years old.

Priority will be given to projects that:

  • Are located in an area identified as having a high or very high wildfire hazard potential;

  • Benefit a low-income community; or

  • Are located in a community impacted by a severe disaster within the previous 10 years which increased wildfire risk and/or hazard.

The maximum amount of Federal funding awarded to any one community or Tribe via this competitive process is:

  • $250,000 for the creation or updating of a Community Wildfire Protection Plan.

  • $10 million for a project described within a Community Wildfire Protection Plan less than 10 years old.

     

    For planning purposes, the total Federal funding available through the CWDG competitive process could be up to $200 million for the third round.

Required matching funds:

  • 10% non-Federal match for proposals to develop or update a Community Wildfire Protection Plan.

  • 25% non-federal match for proposals to implement projects described within a Community Wildfire Protection Plan.

  • Communities meeting the definition of underserved, Indian Tribes, /ANCs, and Pacific Islands may request a waiver of match.

Opportunities are Categorized into Four Groups

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is for projects that will be carried out by Indian Tribes. While this Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is specifically for Tribes, they may also apply under the corresponding state NOFO as well.

This is for projects that will be carried out within the footprint of the Western States and Territories (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, Territory of American Samoa, Republic of Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, Territory of Guam, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands). Indian Tribes/Alaska Native Corporations in this regional footprint can apply through either this notice or the Indian Tribes/Alaska Native Corporations specific notice.

This is for projects that will be carried out within the footprint of the Northeast-Midwest States (Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin) and the District of Columbia. Indian Tribes/Alaska Native Corporations in this regional footprint can apply through either this notice or the Indian Tribes/Alaska Native Corporations specific notice.

This is for projects that will be carried out within the footprint of the Southern States (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia, and for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands). Indian Tribes/Alaska Native Corporations in this regional footprint can apply through either this notice or the Indian Tribes/Alaska Native Corporations specific notice.

 

Registration:

  • Register your organization in the System for Award Management. Organizations must have an active registration with the System for Award Management (SAM.gov), which will generate a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). Creating a SAM registration may take several weeks or more to complete. Therefore, ensure you apply for your SAM registration promptly.

Additional Federal Wildfire Grant Resources

Federal Wildfire Resources describes a variety of pre-disaster Federal grant and cost-share programs across the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), that can support community-led efforts to prepare for wildfire.