Grant Funding Opportunities

Here are some of the grant funding opportunities available to Alpine County or other entities wishing to mitigate wildfire risks.

Wildfire Prevention Grant Program - CALFIRE

Web:  Wildfire Prevention Grant Program

Wildfire Prevention Grants Program Summary


CAL FIRE’s WP Grants Program provides funding for wildfire prevention projects and activities in and near fire threatened communities that focus on increasing the protection of people, structures, and communities. Funded activities include Hazardous Fuels Reduction, Wildfire Prevention Planning, and Wildfire Prevention Education with an emphasis on improving public health and safety while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Contacts: CNRgrants@fire.ca.gov;  Diane Carpenter (916) 224-8442, Adriana Negrea (916) 462-0055, or Shaiyal Kumar (916) 204-0073

Applications Due 3/15/23

Funding:  Up to $5 million per award

Eligible Applicants: State and federal agencies, cities, counties, Native American tribes, other local agencies/districts, fire safe councils with 501c(3), other qualified 501c3 non profits


Forest Health Grant  - CALFIRE

Web: Forest Health Grants

The Forest Health Program addresses the risk to California’s forests from extreme disturbance events including catastrophic wildfires, drought, and pest mortality. These events are the result of climate change, forest overcrowding, past land management practices, and an increasing number of people living in the wildland and urban interface.


CAL FIRE's Forest Health Program awards funding to landscape-scale land management projects that achieve the following objectives:

• Restore forest health and disaster resilience to California’s forests.

• Protect upper watersheds where California's water supply originates.

• Promote long-term storage of carbon in forest trees and soils.

• Minimize the loss of forest carbon from unnaturally severe disturbance events.

• Further the goals of the California Forest Carbon Plan, California’s Natural and Working Lands Implementation Plan and AB 32 Climate Change Scoping Plan

Contacts: ForestHealth@fire.ca.gov; Robin Bellows – Central Area Forester (916) 224- 5584



Applications Due 2-28-23

Funding:  $750K minimum, up to $7 million per award

Eligible Applicants: Local, state, and federal agencies including federal land management agencies; universities, special districts, Native American tribes, private forest landowners, Non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations (e.g., fire safe councils, land trusts.)


The Alpine Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) is also accepting project applications until early February

Secure Rural Schools Title II Funds - U.S. Forest Service

Web:  Secure Rural Schools Funding

Title II funds are retained by the Forest Service and are allocated to specific projects that have been reviewed and recommended by the Alpine County  Resource Advisory Committee.  Projects are considered for funding from Title II if they make additional investments in, and create employment opportunities located on, or to the benefit of, federal lands through the following:

  • Improvement of existing infrastructure maintenance

  • Implementation of stewardship objectives that enhance forest ecosystems

  • Restoration and improvement of land health and water quality.


The funds may be used for projects that have broad-based support and with objectives that include:

  • road, trail, and infrastructure maintenance or obliteration

  • soil productivity improvement

  • forest ecosystem health improvements

  • watershed restoration and maintenance

  • wildlife and fish habitat restoration, maintenance, and improvement

  • noxious and exotic weeds control

  • native species re-establishment


Contacts: Carson Ranger District - Matt Dickinson 775-884-8154, Matthew.Dickinson@usda.gov 


Alpine County Resource Advisory Committee - Brian Peters 530-721-1410, bwpeters1@gmail.com


Applications Due Ongoing, current cycle requested by February 1, 2023

Funding: $150K to $200k currently, estimated additional $15K to $20K per year

Eligible Applicants:  Federal, State and local agencies, private entities, non-profit entities, landowners


Other grant opportunities to address wildfire risk mitigation are periodically available from other agencies.  The agencies/programs listed below are not currently accepting grant applications.  The County Fire Safe Coordinator regularly monitors these sources for funding opportunities.

California Fire Safe Council - A number of grant programs addressing fire safe communities and wildfire risk mitigation.  Web:  https://cafiresafecouncil.org/

Sierra Nevada Conservancy - The Forest & Watershed Health regional goal aims to restore and protect the ecological health and resilience of watersheds and forests within the SNC service area that includes Alpine County.  The Wildfire Recovery and Forest Resilience Directed Grant Program supports the planning and implementation of forest health projects that promote wildfire recovery and forest resilience.  

Web:  https://sierranevada.ca.gov/funding/snc-grants/#forest

U.S. Forest Service Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program - The Community Wildfire Defense Grants are intended to help at-risk local communities and Tribes plan and reduce the risk against wildfire. There are two primary project types for which the grant provides funding:  The development and revision of Community Wildfire Protection Plans, and the implementation of projects described in a Community Wildfire Protection Plan that is less than ten years old.  In the fall of 2022 Alpine County submitted a grant application to develop a community wildfire protection plan for the Kirkwood community. A decision on awards for this grant program are pending.  Web: https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/fire/grants

U.S. Forest Service State and Private Forestry for the Tamarack Fire Restoration opportunity is available here