The U.S. Forest Service supports Moving Toward Shared Stewardship Across Landscapes as part of a conceptual framework for making strategic investments across landscapes to co-manage wildfire risk and achieve positive outcomes at the most appropriate scale. Within this framework, Eastern Region Cohesive Fire Strategy Competitive Request for Applications is designed to support and carry out the goals of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy (NCS) across the Midwestern and Northeastern States as well as meet the intent of the current year budget direction.

Wildfire Risk Reduction (WRR) and Wildfire Response (WR): WRR and WR grants are broader than Cross-Boundary Mitigation grants and don’t require benefit to a National Forest. Successful WRR/WR applications will clearly identify the reduction of wildfire risk and/or improvement of wildfire response.

All grants support the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy goals:

• Restore and Maintain Landscapes: Landscapes across all jurisdictions are resilient to fire-related disturbances in accordance with management objectives.
• Create Fire Adapted Communities: Human populations and infrastructure can withstand a wildfire without loss of life and property.
• Improve Wildfire Response: All jurisdictions participate in making and implementing safe, effective, efficient risk-based wildfire management decisions.

Funding Information

• Wildfire Risk Reduction (WRR): Each application can range from $25,000 to $150,000 in Federal funds.
• Wildfire Response (WR): Each application can range from $25,000 to $50,000 in Federal funds.

Eligibility Criteria

• State governments
• Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
• Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
• Independent school districts
• Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
• City or township governments
• Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
• County governments
• Special district governments

Criteria

• On-the-ground activities must be on non-Federal lands.
• The grant term is four years, with a one-year extension possible, up to a total maximum of five years.
• The three grant opportunities will be evaluated independently of one another, by application review teams of U.S. Forest Service and State forestry agency staff.
• All applications will undergo a preliminary eligibility review prior to ranking. All applicants will be notified of the final selection or non-selection of their applications.
• Any one applicant may submit no more than three applications per WRR or WR grant opportunity (single or multistate).
• Multistate applications must identify the lead agency and the amount of funds to be allocated against each state cap in the Project Budget Explanation.
• Third-party (non-State) applications must identify the lead organization, have State support, and state amount of funds to be allocated against one or more state caps.
• Forest Fire Compact applications will not impact state caps.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.