The third round of the Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) program is open for applications until February 2025. Funded by the federal Infrastructure, Investment, and Jobs Act, the program provides a total of $1 billion over five years to help at-risk communities reduce wildfire risks. The grants support the development or revision of Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP) and the implementation of projects identified in CWPPs that are less than ten years old.

Eligible applicants can receive up to $250,000 to create or update CWPPs, conduct outreach, and deliver educational programs. Grants of up to $10 million are available for infrastructure and resilience projects related to wildfire mitigation. In the second round of funding, Alaska received over $3.1 million for projects such as CWPP development for communities like Bristol Bay Native Association, Tok, and Delta, as well as a $2.6 million right-of-way clearing project for the Homer Electric Association.

Deputy Director of Fire Protection Norm McDonald highlighted the importance of this funding for enhancing wildfire defenses in Alaska’s at-risk communities. He encouraged eligible organizations to take advantage of this opportunity to strengthen their mitigation efforts, with assistance available through the Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection.

For more information or to apply, visit http://forestry.alaska.gov/fire/cwdgrants. Applicants can also contact Lily Coyle at 907-795-9382 or lily.coyle@alaska.gov for additional guidance. This grant program is a vital resource for Alaskan communities to protect their residents, infrastructure, and natural resources from the growing threat of wildfires.