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Key Point #4: Community Assistance The National Fire Plan helps at-risk communities in many ways. USDA Forest Service State and Private Forestry (S&PF) provides grants to state, local and tribal governments, and nonprofit and community organizations to carry out this work. In 2001, we granted almost $26 million to assist communities within Regions 1 and 4. The "National Database of State and Local Wildfire Hazard Mitigation Programs" serves as a clearinghouse of information about nonfederal policies and programs that seek to reduce the risk of loss of life and property through the reduction of hazardous fuels on private lands. One of their "Featured Programs" are some fuels treatment projects in the "Bitterroot Valley." Programs include:
An example of "How It All Comes Together" The Bitterroot Interagency Community Recovery Team, a coalition of over 30 Bitterroot Valley (Montana) agencies and community groups also known as BIRT, is an inspiring illustration of people coming together to meet the diverse human and resource needs resulting from the fires of 2000. This integrated group works with all the Community Assistance programs, identifying community needs and ways of funding them.
Communities at Risk: Volunteer Fire/Rural Fire Assistance Programs:
The State Fire Assistance program provides technical training, financial assistance, and equipment to States to ensure state and local firefighting crews can deliver a safe, effective, and coordinated response to wildland fire. Funding is available for preparedness, high priority prevention, and mitigation education programs including FIREWISE. These funds complement readiness levels at the federal level and are available through consolidated grants to State Foresters. Funds are cost-shared on a 50:50 basis. The Volunteer Fire Assistance program provides critical funding and technical assistance directly to local and volunteer fire departments that protect communities with populations under 10,000. Funds improve the ability of rural fire departments to respond to wildfires, especially in the wildland/urban interface. Funding can be used for training and equipment to complement federal firefighting commitments, so protection capabilities can be enhanced across ownerships. Delivery is through consolidated grants to the State Forester, and funds are cost-shared on a 50:50 basis. National Fire Plan funding more than doubled our assistance to state and local firefighting organizations, through the State Fire Assistance and Volunteer Fire Assistance programs. Many local volunteer fire districts have taken on projects they would not have even attempted before. Others have made long overdue purchases and upgrades to wildland firefighting equipment, from tanker trucks to radios and computers. Still others have been able to hire and train staff at unprecedented levels. Read more about National Fire Plan sucesses in North Dakota PDF 172 KB and Montana PDF 188 KB
Grants:
Disaster/Recovery Assistance:
Related Links:
For more information on "Community Preparedness for Wildfire" see this site on "Social and Economic Dimensions of Ecosystem Management" presented by the North Central Research Station, USDA Forest Service, St. Paul, MN 55108.
Additional interagency National Fire Plan information and links, along with information on communities at risk and contracting opportunities, are available on the www.fireplan.gov website.
Updated January 2004
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