California Fire Safe Council (CFSC) is pleased to announce 45 projects have been selected for funding for the 2018 Grants Clearinghouse Fire Prevention Program. See the 2019 Grant Report below.
2019 Grant Report (PDF, 785KB)
CFSC approved $4.795 million in federal grant funds to support wildfire risk reduction projects in at-risk communities in 30 counties across California. To view the results, click here to open the 2018 Grant Report.
The selected projects help California communities respond to the growing concern over a catastrophic wildfire and exemplify efforts to create fire-adapted communities. Through subgrants from CFSC, these projects provide support to implement fuel reduction projects such as community chipper programs, fuel breaks, and roadside and defensible space projects. These projects will also utilize educational tools to spread the Fire Safe message and engage community members.
Funding for the 2018 Grants Clearinghouse is provided through master grants to CFSC by the Cooperative Fire Program of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Department of Agriculture, Pacific Southwest Region.
These State Fire Assistance and Tree Mortality grants provide $4,795,000 for subgrants to support:
- Hazardous fuels reduction and maintenance projects on non-federal land
- Community Wildfire Protection Plans and other plans or assessments
- Prevention and mitigation education and outreach opportunities.
In addition to the federal funds, the projects will utilize over $5.5 million in matching funds, both in-kind and cash contributions. This generous support demonstrates the value of collaboration and partnerships among agencies and organizations to create Fire Adapted Communities. Many of the matching funds are from CAL FIRE’s 2018 California Climate Investments grant program which will enable recipients to expand and broaden their grant project scope.
Congratulations to the Fire Safe Councils, resource conservation districts, fire protection agencies, and other organizations whose projects were selected for funding!
2018 Grant Cycle Timeline SECOND ROUND
August 1, 2018 – Grant Application Re-Opens
August 30, 2018 – Grant Application Closes
November 2018 – Grant Awards Announced
Jan-Feb 2019 – Grant Agreements Sent out
December 2020 – Grant Projects Completion
Grant Program Guidance
- 2018 Grant Program Re-Opening Quick Reference Guide
- 2018 Grant Program Re-Opening Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- 2018 Grant Application Handbook
- 2018 Request for Applications (RFA)
- 2018 Grant Application Workshop Slides
- 2018 SFA and SMG Application Planning Tool
- Contact a Grant Specialist in your region
- Communities At Risk List
Funding is provided through master grants to CFSC by the U.S. Forest Service to administer the Grants Clearinghouse program, with CFSC issuing sub-awards to successful applicants for the following areas of wildfire prevention:
- Hazardous fuels reduction and maintenance projects on non-federal land
- Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP) and other planning or assessment documents
- Prevention and mitigation education and outreach opportunities for landowners and residents in at-risk communities
Funding, Cost Share Requirement, Maximum Grant Award, and Duration
CFSC has approximately $5,450,000 million available for 2018 wildfire prevention projects. There are two grant programs this year, State Fire Assistance program “SFA and SMG” has $4,150,000 available. The maximum amount that can be requested has increased from $200,000 to $250,000.
Tree Mortality Grant program “TMG” has $1,300,000 available. The maximum amount that can be requested has increased from $130,000 to $300,000.
For the SFA program, the mandatory cost share is 100%. Federal funding can account for up to 50% of the project’s cost and the remaining 50% must come from non-federal sources and can include cash and/or third-party in-kind. The grant performance period is 24 months. Grant funds cannot be expended after the termination date.
Applicants may submit 2 applications at $250,000 per application, but the total grant award will not exceed $250,000.
Fiscal Sponsors can submit 2 applications from their organization, and 1 more from an organization they sponsor. The total grant award will not exceed $250,000 for the fiscal sponsor and $250,000 for the sponsored entities, for a grand total not to exceed $400,000. Match requirement is 100% of the grant amount. The match can be cash or in-kind.
For the TMG program (only available for projects in Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Fresno, Kern, Madera, Mariposa, Placer, Tulare, and Tuolumne counties)., the mandatory cost share is 75%-25%, the federal grant dollars can account for 75% of the project costs and 25% must come from non-federal sources and can include cash and/or third-party in-kind. The grant performance period is 24 months. Grant funds cannot be expended after the termination date.
Applicants may submit 2 applications at $300,000 per application, but the Total grant award will not exceed $300,000.
Fiscal Sponsors can submit 2 applications from their organization, and 1 more from an organization they will sponsor. The total grant award will not exceed $300,000 for fiscal sponsor and $300,00 for the sponsored entities, for a grand total award not to exceed $500,000. Match requirement is 25% of the grant amount. The match can be cash or in-kind.
Important Notices
This grant program and publication are funded in full by the U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region under the terms of Grant numbers 17-DG-11052012-122, 17-DG-11052012-139, and 17-DG-11052012-147. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Forest Service.
California Fire Safe Council (CFSC) is committed to making its materials and programs accessible to all customers and employees. If you experience any difficulty accessing information provided by CFSC, please contact us at info@cafiresafecouncil.org or (916) 648-3600. We will do our best to assist you. This may include providing the information to you in an alternate format.
In accordance with federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) policy, CFSC is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability. Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs. CFSC is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
To file a complaint of discrimination: write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
