Wildfire Grant Resources

A grant is an award, usually financial, given by an entity such as a company, foundation or government to facilitate a goal of incentivizing a performance.⁸

There are a number of grants that are available to help prevent, protect against and recover from wildfires. Grants are often targeted toward specific regions, jurisdictions and audiences. It may take some reading or research to determine if a grant is applicable to your situation.

A government grant is awarded by a government body (whether local, state or federal). A private grant may be awarded by a company, nonprofit or other organization not affiliated with the government. Eligibilities, award amounts and deadlines for these grants will vary and depend on the awarding body’s individual requirements.

There are numerous grant opportunities from government organizations, wildlife foundations, ecosystem projects and non-government fire prevention grants. An internet search for “wildfire prevention grants” and your region will often yield results. While not an exhaustive list, we also suggest checking the Forest Service U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Community Wildfire Defense Grant and searching Grants.gov.

This will all depend on the grant you are applying for. Some grants may require proof of residency, proof of land ownership or other formal documents. Take your time and thoroughly read grant requirements. This will ultimately help you save time and energy while applying for these grants.

Grants are difficult and take some time to complete, but with practice, they get easier.

If you’re a county weed director, whether you’re beginning from scratch or starting from a templated grant, the effort is worth your time when you can help the landowners you’ve partnered with create a successful program that will protect them and the larger landscape.

As a rancher, the value of grant funding can be invaluable as well. Getting grant money to treat annual invasive grasses not only will help you protect your land from wildfire risks but can also help you eliminate infestations of fine fuels that are expensive to treat and steal resources from more nutritious forage.

And everyone can benefit from stronger and healthier native ecosystems.

While it is common to apply for grants in the winter months when your other job responsibilities may be slower, it’s never too early to get started. Grant applications may be open for a few weeks to several months. It’s a good idea to start your applications as soon as you learn of a relevant grant. Application guidelines will have important dates and deadlines that should dictate your submission timeline.  

Unfortunately, we cannot fill out or apply for grants on your behalf. You may be able to find and hire professional grant writers for this purpose, but it is not necessary or required.

Understand resource concerns and come up with a plan on who or what the project is going to benefit and what partners you can involve to help make a more compelling case. You can also reach out to the funding source to see if they can give you their perspective on your project. That can help ensure it’s a good fit for their criteria. Lastly, don’t be afraid to just jump in and start. You can learn the process as you go, and even if you aren’t selected for the grant this award cycle, you can always reapply the next year with your more experienced grant-writing skills. 

A wildland fire or wildfire is defined in the dictionary as “a sweeping and destructive conflagration especially in a wilderness or a rural area.”¹ The U.S. Forest Service goes on to say, “Wildland fires are a force of nature that can be nearly as impossible to prevent, and as difficult to control, as hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods.”² But with some new innovations and practices, we believe prevention is an admirable goal to strive toward.

In the last few decades, the United States has seen longer fire seasons and more acres burned on average each year.² Between 1980 and 2021, the U.S. had 20 wildfire events with damages totaling over $1 billion, and 16 of those 20 fires occurred from 2000-2021. While certain climate cycles shift every few decades, the shift in the late 1990s was likely combined with ongoing global climate change, drought and snowmelt, which may contribute to the warmer, drier conditions that fuel wildfires.³

No. In fact, many wildfires can be beneficial. Naturally occurring, they are part of a healthy ecosystem by reducing grass, brush and trees to improve wildlife habitats. However, in the wrong place and time, they can be devastating and destroy natural resources, homes, communities and even lives.¹

Controlled and prescribed burns are planned in advance with consideration for the time, weather and environmental conditions. They follow a plan that details the size of the fire, where exactly it should occur and what the intended goals of the burn will be.

Usually, controlled burns are conducted to rid an area of dead leaves, brush and other fine fuel debris. They may also be used to reduce insect populations or destroy invasive vegetation species. Regular burning may return nutrients to the soil by accelerating decomposition of debris and provide more room for young trees and plants to grow.⁴ However, conducting safe prescribed fires can be very difficult to plan and expensive to execute.

While controlled burns are planned and kept to specific areas, wildfires are unplanned and may quickly get out of hand. They burn extremely hot and may cause unrestricted damage, making it difficult for some species to recover. Lasting damages can cause irreparable harm to plants, animals, homes and ecosystems.

A fire-adapted ecosystem is one that has naturally evolved to withstand low-intensity or even moderate-intensity fires. For example, this could be a forest made up of trees with characteristics for it to withstand fire, such as thick bark and long trunks and where the leaves and needles that perform photosynthesis are high off the ground. For thousands of years, these ecosystems were able to naturally survive wildfires. However, fire suppression and a previous lack of tools to manage the landscape allowed fine fuel loads to accumulate to dangerous levels, resulting in these ecosystems being much more susceptible to wildfires. 

Rangeland wildfires destroy a land’s native, perennial forage needed for cattle grazing. They can also damage ranching infrastructure like fencing and mechanical equipment, which can be expensive and time-intensive to repair. Recurring or intense wildfires can create a high-risk environment for ranch hands and ranchers. Dangers can include injuries, respiratory and cardiovascular illness from smoke inhalation, and even death.  

Wildfires can damage and destroy homes, buildings and other infrastructure as well as injure and kill people. In 2021, 3,800 civilian fire deaths occurred, and 14,700 people reported fire injuries. Property damage was estimated to be at $15.9 billion.⁵ A 2021 report placed 4.5 million U.S. homes as “high” or “extreme risk” of wildfires.⁶

Wildfires can be devastating to ecosystems, causing long-term and even permanent damage to native perennial species. Soil erosion, air pollution and polluted water runoff are all possible negative effects of a wildfire on the local ecosystem. Likewise, important animal populations can be injured or killed in fires. For those that survive, many will often migrate away from the affected areas. Together, this could result in the permanent elimination of critical wildlife habitats for various species such as mule deer, sage-grouse, elk, nesting birds and more.

If you are looking into wildfire recovery, check with your local and state government for resources and recovery assistance. Consider consulting a resilience and resistance (R&R) map to help approximate the recovery potential after the disturbance based on broad soil characteristics and climate.⁷ And be sure to look and apply for grants designed to help recovery efforts. 

If you’re looking for more preventative measures to stand up against future wildfires, be sure to explore this site fully and learn more about herbicide treatments like Rejuvra^® herbicide.

Fine fuels are types of grasses, twigs, leaves or needles that ignite readily and are consumed rapidly by fire when they’re dry.⁹

A natural fire in a healthy ecosystem will burn slower and with less intensity in a mosaic-like pattern. When fine fuel loads increase due to invasive annual grass invasions, they help to “connect the fire” across the landscape, negating the natural ecosystem’s defenses to fire, devastating the entire area. This can increase wildfire frequency and intensity.

Some of the most problematic invasive annual grass species are cheatgrass, medusahead, ventenata and red brome. These species often lack biological predators, meaning they are easily spreadable and have the ability to thrive in many areas. Additionally, they’re hard to control and remove, making them extremely pervasive and widespread in Western rangelands.

There are many benefits to controlling fine fuels. While lowering your wildfire risk, eliminating invasive annual grasses allows healthier, native perennial species to thrive. These native grasses and forbes tend to stay greener longer in the year to prevent early season dry-out, and they are more nutritious for grazing livestock. They also help make the area more productive for native wildlife and pollinators that rely on these lands for food and survival.

Applying Rejuvra herbicide to rangelands can help minimize the damage of wildfires by eliminating invasive, fine fuel grasses for up to four years. One application can help rid your land of cheatgrass, medusahead and ventenata, allowing native and more fire-resistant perennial species to thrive. A wildfire that does come through on land that is treated with Rejuvra is more likely to burn slower and at a lower intensity than a non-treated pasture due to the higher moisture content of native perennial species.

Besides lowering your wildfire risk, herbicides can help you eliminate invasive brush, grass and weeds on your land. These invasive species can steal nutrients from the soil and crowd out more productive forage. Killing invasive vegetation can allow native species to return to your land and thrive. Native perennial grasses are more nutritious forage for your livestock, helping them grow to be bigger and healthier, as well as the area’s natural wildlife. 

We can get you in touch with herbicide representatives in your area to discuss vegetation management programs and what might work best for you. Find your local rep here.