Community Wildfire Defense Grant
Forecasted
Community Wildfire Defense Grant supports at-risk communities and Tribes through wildfire planning and risk-reduction projects that help create fire-adapted communities and improve wildfire response.
Funder: Utah Department of Natural Resources
Due Dates (Anticipated): October 2026 (Round 4 application deadline)
Funding Amounts: $5 billion allocated over five years; one Utah Round 3 award was $293,122
Summary: Supports at-risk communities and Tribes in planning for and reducing wildfire risk.
Key Information: Priority goes to communities with high wildfire hazard potential, low incomes, or severe-disaster impacts that increase wildfire risk.
Description
The USDA Forest Service administers the Community Wildfire Defense Grant in partnership with state forestry agencies, including Utah’s Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands. The program helps at-risk communities and Tribes plan for and reduce wildfire risk.
Projects support the National Cohesive Strategy’s goals of restoring and maintaining landscapes, creating fire-adapted communities, and improving wildfire response. In Utah, a funded project combines hazardous fuel mitigation with community education. The program prioritizes at-risk communities in areas with high or very high wildfire hazard potential, communities that are low-income, and communities affected by a severe disaster that increases wildfire risk.
