Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FS 2022 CWDG SGSF

The Community Wildfire Defense Grant 2022 Southern (Funding Opportunity Number: USDA FS 2022 CWDG SGSF) is a discretionary grant program run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (CFDA 10.720) designed to help local communities and Indian Tribes that face elevated wildfire risk. The central aim is to support practical, on-the-ground planning and mitigation work that reduces the danger wildfires pose to people, homes, infrastructure, and surrounding landscapes, especially in places where development meets or mixes with fire-prone vegetation, commonly known as the wildland-urban interface (WUI). The program was created under Public Law 117-58, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (often called the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law), which provided major federal investments for community resilience and hazard reduction, including wildfire preparedness.

A key feature of this opportunity is how it prioritizes which communities should benefit first. The program emphasizes funding for at-risk communities that fall into one or more high-need categories: communities located in areas identified as having high or very high wildfire hazard potential, communities that are low-income, and communities that have been impacted by a severe disaster. The Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs) contain the detailed definitions, thresholds, and documentation expectations for those priorities, but the overall intent is clear: direct resources toward places where wildfire risk is most intense and where local capacity to plan and pay for mitigation is often limited.

The grant is also tied to national wildfire policy through the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy (the Cohesive Strategy). Funded projects are meant to move communities toward the Cohesive Strategy's three broad goals. First, Restore and Maintain Landscapes focuses on making forests, grasslands, and other fire-influenced ecosystems more resilient to fire-related disturbances across ownership boundaries, consistent with local land management objectives. Second, Create Fire Adapted Communities focuses on reducing the vulnerability of communities so that people and built infrastructure can better withstand wildfire without catastrophic losses, which often includes work like defensible space planning, home and community risk reduction measures, and improving readiness. Third, Improve Wildfire Response emphasizes coordinated, risk-based decision-making and stronger cross-jurisdiction collaboration so that wildfire response is safer, more effective, and more efficient.

In practical terms, the Forest Service structured the funding around two main project types. The first is the development or revision of a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). CWPPs are locally driven plans that help a community assess wildfire hazards, identify and prioritize mitigation actions, and coordinate among partners such as local governments, fire departments, state forestry agencies, federal land managers, and community stakeholders. The second project type is implementation funding for projects that are already described in a CWPP, as long as that CWPP is less than ten years old. This design encourages communities not only to create plans, but to actually carry out the highest-priority actions identified through the CWPP process, helping ensure the plans translate into measurable risk reduction on the ground.

Eligible applicants are broad and include many of the entities typically responsible for community planning and public safety. Applicants may include 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 (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments), and nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions in those nonprofit categories). This mix allows applications from local and regional government bodies, tribal entities, and nonprofit partners that often lead community hazard mitigation work, public education, and project implementation.

From a funding and scale perspective, the opportunity listed an award ceiling of up to $10,000,000 and anticipated approximately 200 awards, indicating that projects could range from smaller planning efforts to larger, multi-faceted implementation initiatives depending on community need and project scope. The opportunity was posted on July 27, 2022, with an original application closing date of October 7, 2022, placing it within the early wave of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law wildfire resilience investments. Overall, this grant opportunity is best understood as a pathway for high-risk, high-need communities to move from wildfire risk awareness to concrete planning and mitigation actions, using CWPPs as the organizing framework and aligning local work with national wildfire resilience goals.

  • 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 Southern" 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 SGSF

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Community Wildfire Defense Grant 2022 Southern (USDA FS 2022 CWDG SGSF) - FAQs

What is the Community Wildfire Defense Grant 2022 Southern?

It is a discretionary grant program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service (CFDA 10.720). The program supports local communities and Indian Tribes facing elevated wildfire risk by funding practical planning and on-the-ground mitigation work to reduce wildfire threats to people, homes, infrastructure, and surrounding landscapes, especially in the wildland-urban interface (WUI).

What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this grant?

The Funding Opportunity Number is USDA FS 2022 CWDG SGSF.

Who runs and funds this program?

The program is run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. It was created under Public Law 117-58, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law), which provided federal investments aimed at community resilience, hazard reduction, and wildfire preparedness.

What is the main purpose of this grant?

The central aim is to help high-risk communities and Indian Tribes reduce wildfire danger through actionable planning and mitigation. The focus is on real-world activities that reduce risk to people, homes, critical infrastructure, and nearby landscapes, with particular attention to areas where development meets or mixes with fire-prone vegetation (the WUI).

What types of communities are prioritized for funding?

The opportunity emphasizes directing funding first to at-risk communities that fall into one or more high-need categories:

  • Communities in areas identified as having high or very high wildfire hazard potential
  • Low-income communities
  • Communities impacted by a severe disaster

Specific definitions, thresholds, and documentation expectations for these priorities are described in the Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs).

What is meant by the wildland-urban interface (WUI) in this program?

Within this opportunity, the WUI refers to areas where development meets or mixes with fire-prone vegetation. These areas often face heightened wildfire risk to people, homes, and infrastructure because built environments and wildland fuels are closely intermingled.

How does the grant connect to national wildfire policy?

Funded projects are intended to advance the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy (the Cohesive Strategy). Projects should support progress toward the strategy's three broad goals: Restore and Maintain Landscapes, Create Fire Adapted Communities, and Improve Wildfire Response.

What are the three Cohesive Strategy goals this grant is meant to support?

  • Restore and Maintain Landscapes: Improve resilience of forests, grasslands, and other fire-influenced ecosystems across ownership boundaries, consistent with local land management objectives.
  • Create Fire Adapted Communities: Reduce community vulnerability so people and infrastructure can better withstand wildfire, including efforts like defensible space planning and risk reduction measures.
  • Improve Wildfire Response: Strengthen coordinated, risk-based decision-making and cross-jurisdiction collaboration to make wildfire response safer, more effective, and more efficient.

What are the main project types funded under this opportunity?

The Forest Service structured the funding around two main project types:

  • Development or revision of a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP)
  • Implementation of projects already described in an existing CWPP (with an age requirement)

What is a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP)?

A CWPP is a locally driven plan that helps a community assess wildfire hazards, identify and prioritize mitigation actions, and coordinate among partners. Typical partners include local governments, fire departments, state forestry agencies, federal land managers, and community stakeholders.

What does the CWPP planning project type cover?

This project type supports developing a new CWPP or revising an existing CWPP. The intent is to create a community-led planning framework that identifies wildfire hazards, prioritizes mitigation actions, and aligns partners around an agreed set of steps to reduce risk.

What does the CWPP implementation project type cover?

This project type supports carrying out projects that are already described in a CWPP. The purpose is to help communities move from planning to action by implementing the highest-priority risk-reduction measures identified through the CWPP process.

Is there an age requirement for a CWPP used for implementation funding?

Yes. Implementation funding is for projects described in a CWPP as long as the CWPP is less than ten years old.

Why does the grant emphasize CWPPs?

The opportunity is designed to make CWPPs the organizing framework for wildfire risk reduction. It encourages communities not only to create or update plans, but also to implement priority actions so the planning process results in measurable, on-the-ground mitigation.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants include:

  • 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 (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments)
  • Nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions in those nonprofit categories)

Are nonprofit organizations eligible even if they do not have 501(c)(3) status?

Yes. The opportunity states that nonprofit organizations are eligible both with and without 501(c)(3) status, with the noted exclusion that the nonprofit categories do not include higher education institutions.

Are tribal entities eligible to apply?

Yes. Eligible applicants include federally recognized Native American tribal governments and Native American tribal organizations, including those other than federally recognized tribal governments.

How large can an individual award be?

The listed award ceiling is up to $10,000,000.

How many awards were anticipated?

The opportunity anticipated approximately 200 awards.

When was this opportunity posted and when did it close?

The opportunity was posted on July 27, 2022. The original application closing date was October 7, 2022.

What kinds of impacts is the grant intended to achieve?

The grant is intended to reduce wildfire danger to people, homes, infrastructure, and landscapes by supporting planning and mitigation work in high-risk, high-need locations. It is positioned as a way for communities to move from wildfire risk awareness to concrete planning and implementation actions, aligned with national wildfire resilience goals.

Where can applicants find the detailed definitions and documentation expectations for priority categories?

The detailed definitions, thresholds, and documentation expectations for the priority categories are contained in the Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs).

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Apply for USDA FS 2022 CWDG SGSF

 

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