The US Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service has announced the availability of up to $1bn in grant funding, appropriated under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, for the establishment of the Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CDWG) Program.

As authorized under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs funds will be made available and distributed to eligible applicants within the footprints of the Western States, Northeast-Midwest States, Southern States, and Indian Tribes/Alaska Native Corporations.

There are two primary project types for which the CDWG provides funding: the development and revising of Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP) and the implementation of projects described in a CWPP that is less than ten years old.

The Act prioritizes at-risk communities that are in an area identified as having high or very high wildfire hazard potential, are low-income, and/or have been impacted by a severe disaster.

The CWDG will help communities in the wildland urban interface (WUI) implement the three goals of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy (Cohesive Strategy):

• 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 better 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. 

The grants are funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Applications are now available.