Community Wildfire Defense Grant 2022 West | USDA FS 2022 CWDG CWSF

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FS 2022 CWDG CWSF

The Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) 2022 West is a discretionary grant program run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (CFDA 10.720) that is designed to help at-risk local communities and Indian Tribes reduce wildfire risk through both planning and on-the-ground mitigation. The central idea is to strengthen communities located in the wildland-urban interface (WUI), where homes, critical infrastructure, and community assets meet or intermingle with fire-prone vegetation. The program is meant to move communities from being reactive to being better prepared, using locally driven plans and projects that reduce the likelihood of catastrophic loss and support safer, more effective wildfire management.

A key feature of this opportunity is its emphasis on prioritizing communities facing the greatest need. Under the authorizing law, the program gives priority to at-risk communities that (1) are in areas identified as having high or very high wildfire hazard potential, (2) are low-income, and/or (3) have been impacted by a severe disaster. Applicants are expected to consult the applicable Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the details on how these priority factors are defined and documented, since the NOFOs explain how applicants can demonstrate eligibility and how those priorities influence selection.

The CWDG is structured around the three goals of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy. First, it supports efforts to restore and maintain landscapes so they are more resilient to fire-related disturbances and better aligned with land management objectives across jurisdictions. Second, it aims to create fire-adapted communities where people, homes, and infrastructure are better able to withstand wildfire without loss of life and with reduced property damage. Third, it seeks to improve wildfire response by encouraging coordinated, risk-based decision-making and implementation across all jurisdictions, supporting safer and more efficient response operations.

Funding is available for two main project types. One track supports the development or revision of Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs), which are locally developed plans that identify wildfire risks, set priorities, and outline strategies for reducing hazards and improving preparedness. The other track supports implementation projects that are already described in an existing CWPP, as long as that CWPP is less than ten years old. In practical terms, this means the grant can pay either for the planning work needed to create or update a CWPP, or for tangible mitigation actions that have already been vetted and prioritized through a recent CWPP process.

For the 2022 West opportunity, the funding instrument is a grant, with an award ceiling of up to $10,000,000 per award and an expected total of about 200 awards. Eligible applicants include a wide range of public and community-serving entities: state governments; county governments; city or township governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments); and nonprofit organizations, including both 501(c)(3) nonprofits and nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (in both cases, other than institutions of higher education). The program falls under the funding activity areas of disaster prevention and relief and natural resources, reflecting its dual focus on reducing disaster impacts while improving land and community resilience.

This grant is authorized by Public Law 117-58, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, commonly known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). For this specific posting, the opportunity was created on July 27, 2022, with an original closing date of October 7, 2022. The official opportunity listing is identified as "Community Wildfire Defense Grant 2022 West" with the opportunity number USDA FS 2022 CWDG CWSF.

• The Department of Agriculture, Forest Service in the disaster prevention and relief, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Community Wildfire Defense Grant 2022 West" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.720.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jul 27, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 07, 2022. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $10,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 200 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

Apply for USDA FS 2022 CWDG CWSF

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