Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FS 2024 CWDG SGSF
The Community Wildfire Defense Grant 2024 (FY25) South is a discretionary grant program run by the USDA Forest Service (CFDA 10.720) aimed at helping communities that face serious wildfire risk. The core idea is to fund practical planning and on-the-ground mitigation work that reduces wildfire threats to people, homes, infrastructure, and nearby landscapes, especially in the wildland-urban interface (WUI), where development and flammable vegetation meet. The program is designed to move communities from being reactive after a fire to being better prepared before the next one, with an emphasis on locally driven solutions that can be implemented across jurisdictional lines.
A major focus of this opportunity is assisting "at-risk" local communities and Indian Tribes. The authorizing law prioritizes projects that benefit communities meeting one or more of three key conditions: the community is located in an area identified as having high or very high wildfire hazard potential, the community is low-income, and/or the community has been impacted by a severe disaster. The NOFO explains how those priority factors are defined and documented, but the headline takeaway is that the funding is intended to reach places where wildfire danger and community vulnerability overlap, not just areas with general wildfire exposure.
Programmatically, the grant is tied to the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy and supports progress across its three goals. First, "Restore and Maintain Landscapes" supports actions that make landscapes more resilient to wildfire as well as related stressors like insects, disease, invasive species, and climate change impacts, while still aligning with local and regional management objectives. Second, "Create Fire Adapted Communities" emphasizes making residents and infrastructure as ready as possible to receive, respond to, and recover from wildland fire, which often includes reducing structural ignitability and improving community preparedness. Third, "Improve Wildfire Response" is about strengthening coordinated, risk-based decision-making across agencies and jurisdictions so wildfire management is safer, more effective, and more efficient.
The funding generally supports two main project types. One track funds the development or revision of Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs), which are widely used community-level plans that identify local wildfire hazards, prioritize areas for treatment, and outline actions to reduce risk. The second track funds implementation projects that are already described in an existing CWPP, as long as that CWPP is less than ten years old. In other words, applicants can seek support either to create/update the plan itself or to carry out priority mitigation activities that a recent plan already calls for.
Eligible applicants are broad and include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, federally recognized Tribal governments, Tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments), and nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), excluding higher education institutions in those nonprofit categories). This wide eligibility is intended to accommodate the range of entities that typically lead wildfire planning and mitigation, such as local governments, fire districts, Tribes, and community-based organizations working in partnership with residents and land managers.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is offered as a grant with an award ceiling of up to $10,000,000, and the Forest Service anticipates making around 100 awards. The opportunity was created on November 21, 2024, and the application closing date listed is February 28, 2025. Applicants are directed to read the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for full instructions and then submit through the dedicated application portal at cwdg.forestrygrants.org, rather than a general-purpose grants submission site.
To help applicants through the process, the Forest Service scheduled Round 3 applicant webinars that cover how to apply, with the same core content offered across sessions regardless of region or applicant type. The webinar dates listed are Monday, December 2 (2:00 to 4:00 pm Eastern), Wednesday, December 4 (12:30 to 2:30 pm Eastern, with a stronger focus on Tribal applications and Tribal Q&A), and Friday, December 6 (2:00 to 4:00 pm Eastern). Recordings are expected to be posted after the live sessions on the Forest Service CWDG website for those who cannot attend. In addition, the agency plans to host periodic "office hours" during the application window, giving applicants another way to ask questions and resolve issues before submission, with dates and times posted on the CWDG program website.Apply for USDA FS 2024 CWDG SGSF
- The Forest Service in the disaster prevention and relief, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Community Wildfire Defense Grant 2024 (FY25) South" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.720.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2024-11-21.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-02-28. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $10,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 100 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Community Wildfire Defense Grant 2024 (FY25) South
What is the Community Wildfire Defense Grant 2024 (FY25) South?
The Community Wildfire Defense Grant 2024 (FY25) South is a discretionary grant program run by the USDA Forest Service (CFDA 10.720). It funds practical wildfire planning and on-the-ground mitigation work to reduce threats to people, homes, infrastructure, and nearby landscapes, especially in the wildland-urban interface (WUI).
What is the main purpose of this grant opportunity?
The program is designed to help communities move from being reactive after a wildfire to being better prepared before the next one. It emphasizes locally driven solutions that can be implemented across jurisdictional lines and that reduce wildfire risk where communities and flammable vegetation meet.
Who is this funding intended to help most?
A major focus is assisting "at-risk" local communities and Indian Tribes, particularly where wildfire danger overlaps with community vulnerability.
How does the program define or prioritize "at-risk" communities?
The authorizing law prioritizes projects that benefit communities meeting one or more of these conditions: (1) the community is located in an area identified as having high or very high wildfire hazard potential, (2) the community is low-income, and/or (3) the community has been impacted by a severe disaster. The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) explains how these priority factors are defined and documented.
What kinds of projects does the grant fund?
Funding generally supports two main project types: (1) developing or revising a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP), and (2) implementing projects that are already described in an existing CWPP (as long as the CWPP is less than 10 years old).
What is a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) in this program?
A CWPP is a community-level plan used to identify local wildfire hazards, prioritize areas for treatment, and outline actions to reduce risk. Under this opportunity, applicants can request support to create or update the plan, or to carry out mitigation actions already prioritized in a qualifying CWPP.
Can implementation projects be funded without an existing CWPP?
The opportunity describes an implementation track for projects that are already included in an existing CWPP that is less than 10 years old. Based on the provided information, implementation projects are tied to having a recent CWPP in place.
How recent must a CWPP be for implementation funding?
To use the implementation track, the CWPP must be less than 10 years old.
What program goals does this grant support?
The grant is tied to the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy and supports progress across its three goals: Restore and Maintain Landscapes, Create Fire Adapted Communities, and Improve Wildfire Response.
What does "Restore and Maintain Landscapes" mean in the context of this grant?
This goal supports actions that make landscapes more resilient to wildfire and related stressors such as insects, disease, invasive species, and climate change impacts, while still aligning with local and regional management objectives.
What does "Create Fire Adapted Communities" mean in the context of this grant?
This goal emphasizes making residents and infrastructure as ready as possible to receive, respond to, and recover from wildland fire. It often includes reducing structural ignitability and improving community preparedness.
What does "Improve Wildfire Response" mean in the context of this grant?
This goal focuses on strengthening coordinated, risk-based decision-making across agencies and jurisdictions so wildfire management is safer, more effective, and more efficient.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include: state governments; county governments; city or township governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; federally recognized Tribal governments; Tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments); and nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), excluding higher education institutions in those nonprofit categories).
Are Tribal entities eligible to apply?
Yes. Eligibility includes federally recognized Tribal governments and Tribal organizations, including those other than federally recognized tribal governments.
Are nonprofits eligible to apply?
Yes. Nonprofits are eligible, including both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) organizations, excluding higher education institutions in those nonprofit categories.
What is the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling is up to $10,000,000.
How many awards does the Forest Service expect to make?
The Forest Service anticipates making around 100 awards.
What type of funding instrument is this?
The opportunity is offered as a grant.
When was this opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on November 21, 2024.
What is the application deadline?
The application closing date listed is February 28, 2025.
Where do applicants submit their application?
Applications are submitted through the dedicated application portal at cwdg.forestrygrants.org (not a general-purpose grants submission site). Applicants are directed to read the NOFO for full instructions before submitting.
What should applicants read before applying?
Applicants should read the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for full instructions, including how priority factors are defined and documented.
Are there webinars to help applicants understand how to apply?
Yes. The Forest Service scheduled Round 3 applicant webinars that cover how to apply, with the same core content offered across sessions regardless of region or applicant type.
When are the applicant webinars scheduled?
The listed webinar dates are: Monday, December 2 (2:00 to 4:00 pm Eastern); Wednesday, December 4 (12:30 to 2:30 pm Eastern, with a stronger focus on Tribal applications and Tribal Q&A); and Friday, December 6 (2:00 to 4:00 pm Eastern).
Is there a webinar session with extra emphasis on Tribal applications?
Yes. The Wednesday, December 4 session (12:30 to 2:30 pm Eastern) is described as having a stronger focus on Tribal applications and Tribal Q&A.
Will webinar recordings be available?
Yes. Recordings are expected to be posted after the live sessions on the Forest Service CWDG website for those who cannot attend.
Are there "office hours" for applicant questions?
Yes. The agency plans to host periodic office hours during the application window to give applicants another way to ask questions and resolve issues before submission. Dates and times are posted on the CWDG program website.
Why does the program emphasize the wildland-urban interface (WUI)?
The opportunity highlights the WUI because it is where development and flammable vegetation meet, often creating elevated risk to people, homes, infrastructure, and surrounding landscapes. The grant supports work that reduces those WUI-related wildfire threats.
Does the program support work across jurisdictional boundaries?
Yes. The opportunity emphasizes locally driven solutions that can be implemented across jurisdictional lines, supporting coordinated approaches to wildfire risk reduction.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Disaster Prevention and Relief, Natural Resources
Next opportunity: NINR Resources and Related Research Projects in Firearm Injury Prevention (R24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Previous opportunity: Primary Care Training and Enhancement—Residency Training in Street Medicine (PCTE-RTSM)
Applicant Portal:
Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.
Apply for USDA FS 2024 CWDG SGSF
Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (USDA FS 2024 CWDG SGSF) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Community Wildfire Defense Grant 2024 (FY25) Tribes Apply for USDA FS 2024 CWDG TRIBES Funding Number: USDA FS 2024 CWDG TRIBES Agency: Forest Service Category: Disaster Prevention and Relief, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $10,000,000 |
| Community Wildfire Defense Grant 2024 (FY25) West Apply for USDA FS 2024 CWDG CWSF Funding Number: USDA FS 2024 CWDG CWSF Agency: Forest Service Category: Disaster Prevention and Relief, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $10,000,000 |
| Community Wildfire Defense Grant 2024 (FY25) Northeast-Midwest Apply for USDA FS 2024 CWDG NEMW Funding Number: USDA FS 2024 CWDG NEMW Agency: Forest Service Category: Disaster Prevention and Relief, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $10,000,000 |
Grant application guides and resources
It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!
Apply for Grants
Inside Our Applicants Portal
Access Applicants Portal
- Grants Repository - Access current and historic funding opportunities with ease. Thousands of funding opportunities are published every week. We can help you sort through the database and find the eligible ones to apply for.
- Applicant Video Guides - The grant application process can be challenging to follow. We can help you with intuitive video guides to speed up the process and eliminate errors in submissions.
- Grant Proposal Wizard - We have developed a network of private funding organizations and investors across the United States. We can reach out and submit your proposal to these contacts to maximize your chances of getting the funding you need.
Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers
Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.
If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.
Learn More
Request more information:
Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "USDA FS 2024 CWDG SGSF", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:
Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.