California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection – Wildfire Prevention
Information
Programs: Environmental Quality, Protection, and Beautification Public Safety, Public, Society Benefit – Multipurpose and Other
States
California
Maximum Grant Amount
not specified Deadline August 6, 2025
Description
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is accepting applications to the Wildfire Prevention Grants Program.
This program provides funding for local projects and activities that address the risk of wildfire and reduce wildfire potential to forested and forest adjacent communities. Funded activities include: hazardous fuel reduction, fire planning, and fire prevention education with an emphasis on improving public health and safety while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The three qualifying projects and activities include those related to hazardous fuel reduction and removal of dead, dying, or diseased trees, fire prevention planning, and fire prevention education. Examples of qualifying projects and activities include, but are not limited to, the following:
Hazardous Fuels Reduction
- Vegetation clearance in critical locations to reduce wildfire intensity and rate of spread.
- Creation or maintenance of fuel breaks in strategic locations, as identified in CAL FIRE Unit Fire Plans, a Community Wildfire Protection Plan, or similar strategic planning document.
- Maintenance of existing fuels reduction projects paid for by CAL FIRE or any other funding sources (i.e., other state funds, federal funds, or private funds). Removal of ladder fuels to reduce the risk of crown fires.
- Creation of community-level wildfire prevention programs, such as community chipping days, roadside chipping, and green waste bin programs. Selective tree removal (thinning) to improve forest health to withstand wildfire.
- Modification of vegetation adjacent to roads to improve public safety for egress of evacuating residents and ingress of responding emergency personnel.
- Reduction of fuel loading around critical infrastructure to maintain continuity of government and other critical services.
- Projects to improve compliance with defensible space requirements as required by Public Resources Code Section 4291 (Projects eligible for CCI funds are low-income, disabled, or elderly households per CA requirements).
- Seasonal and temporary prescribed grazing using temporary infrastructure consistent with increasing the protection of people, structures, and communities.
Wildfire Prevention Planning
- Wildfire risk or related mapping
- Creation or update of strategic wildfire planning documents, such as:
- Evacuation plans
- Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP)
- Local Hazard Mitigation Plans
- Safety Elements
- Wildfire prevention or mitigation plans
Wildfire Prevention Education
- Development and implementation of public education and outreach programs. Programs may include technical assistance, workforce recruitment and training, and equipment purchases
- Workshops, meetings, materials creation, and other educational activities with the purpose of increasing knowledge and awareness of information that could be used to reduce the total number of wildfires, acres burned, and structures lost
- To educate the public on wildfire mitigation and risk reduction strategies
Activities are subject to CAL FIRE approval.