Tom Vilsack Secretary of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) | Official Website
YAKIMA, Wash., May 14, 2024 – Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Xochitl Torres Small announced today a $250 million investment to aid communities at risk from catastrophic wildfires. This initiative is part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda and is aimed at protecting homes, businesses, and infrastructure. The increasing threat of wildfires has been exacerbated by the climate crisis.
This funding is made possible through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will be distributed via the Community Wildfire Defense Grant program. The program will support 158 projects across 31 states, two territories, and 11 tribes. These projects are designed to develop community wildfire protection plans and remove overgrown vegetation that can fuel fires threatening lives, livelihoods, and resources. The grant program is based on legislation initially introduced by Vice President Harris in the U.S. Senate.
"The Biden-Harris administration is putting historic resources into efforts to confront the wildfire crisis," said Deputy Agriculture Secretary Xochitl Torres Small. "The Community Wildfire Defense Grants are just one of many ways we are helping communities adapt to larger, more complex and more frequent wildfires.”
“Last year, over two million Americans across the country were displaced by extreme weather and climate-fueled disasters," said Assistant to the President and National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi. "Under President Biden, we are making the largest-ever investment to tackle the climate crisis while reducing the risks of catastrophic fires."
The Community Wildfire Defense Grant program is now in its second year. It aims to help communities maintain resilient landscapes, create fire-adapted communities, and ensure safe, effective wildfire response. This aligns with both the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy's goals and those of the National Climate Resilience Framework.
Examples of funded projects include nearly $10 million for Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma for equipment procurement for prescribed fire management and firefighter training; nearly $6 million for Wasco County in Oregon to create fuel breaks and defensible space; and nearly $9.9 million for The Nature Conservancy in Colorado to protect communities in Archuleta County and watersheds supplying irrigation and drinking water to Santa Fe and Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The program has seen increased interest since its first year, with more projects being funded across more states and tribes. This represents a nearly 20% increase in overall funding due to an increase in applications.
In total, the program is investing $1 billion over five years to assist at-risk communities through grants. These grants are awarded to local and tribal communities, non-profit organizations, state forestry agencies, and Alaska Native Corporations for planning and mitigating wildfire risks on lands not managed by federal agencies.
The USDA’s Forest Service collaborated with Tribes and States through an interagency working group to develop the Community Wildfire Defense Grant program. Proposals undergo a competitive selection process that includes review panels made up of State forestry agencies, Tribal representatives, and other organizations.
“We recognize the difference this program is already having on reducing wildfire risk," said Forest Service Chief Randy Moore. "This second round of investments will help communities develop community wildfire protection plans."
The Forest Service will announce a third funding opportunity later this year.
President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law also provides a historic $3.5 billion investment in wildfire management through various programs aimed at reducing wildfire risks, detecting wildfires, instituting firefighter workforce reforms, and increasing pay for federal wildland firefighters.
Today’s announcement follows President Biden’s fiscal year 2025 budget proposal which proposes $2.7 billion for the Forest Service’s base wildland fire management program. The proposal includes provisions for firefighter compensation, benefits, mental health support as well as support for the agency's 10-year Wildfire Crisis Strategy.
More information about the funded proposals can be found on the Community Wildfire Defense Grants website.
