Editor’s note: This post is designed to help communities navigate the upcoming third round of applications for the Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) Program. We will update this post with new information about the application period when it opens, and additional resources as they become available. As always, the best source of information for any federal grant program is the Notice of Funding Opportunity available from the program itself. We hope this primer (similar to our primers from the first and second rounds of CWDG funding) can support applicants in navigating and understanding the process to apply.

The U.S. Forest Service’s Community Wildfire Defense Grant is set to open its third round of funding by the end of the year, with an exact date yet to be determined. This grant program, which was rolled out in 2022, helps local communities and Tribes plan for wildfires and implement projects to reduce their wildfire risk. The program prioritizes at-risk communities in areas identified as having high or very high wildfire hazard potential, communities that are low-income, and/or communities that have been impacted by a severe disaster that impacts wildfire risk. Funding can be used to develop or revise a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) or implement projects described in a CWPP, or equivalent plan, that is less than 10 years old.

While the third round’s official application window has yet to open, there’s plenty that prospective applicants can do now to lay the groundwork for a high quality CWDG proposal. Getting a head start on these early steps is wise as the CWDG grant is quite competitive – in the most recent round of funding, $260 million in grants were awarded out of $975 million requested.

Take a look at the tips and resources below for some ideas on how to get prepared!

Go-to websites

For starters, here are some key websites you should bookmark and review for official guidance on the program before you apply. 

• Forest Service CWDG website: This is where you will find a link to the official Notice of Funding Opportunity, or NOFO, helpful links and resources, and information about webinars, office hours, or other opportunities to learn more about the program.
• CWDG dashboard tool: Communities can search for their county or municipality via this easy-to-use tool to determine if they are eligible and meet priority and match waiver criteria for the program. Note: This tool is undergoing updates and it is recommended that potential applicants check back closer to the release of the Round 3 NOFO for the most up-to-date data about your community’s eligibility, priority status, and waiver potential. Additionally, if the data on this site does not show you as eligible or having priority, you may still be able to meet those thresholds by referencing different datasets that better represent your community. 
• CWDG.forestrygrants.org: This is a repository of all prior CWDG applications. Use the top search filters to sort applications by region, state/keyword, and average review score
• Your state’s CWDG program page (if applicable): Some states have dedicated CWDG webpages, which include additional information, resources, and contact information. For example, the Washington Department of Natural Resources and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources each have their own CWDG websites.

Getting grant-ready

Once you have reviewed official guidance, here are some general grant preparation steps to ensure you and your community are ready for when the NOFO is released.

1. Check to make sure your community is eligible to apply and meets the three priority criteria for CWDG (due to the competitive nature of the program, projects that do not meet priority criteria are very unlikely to be successful).
   • To be eligible, communities must have at least moderate wildfire risk, based on the CWDG tool or state or local wildfire risk data. If your community doesn’t show up as “at risk” in the tool, ask your designated program manager about other risk model options or explore our compilation of  Wildfire Risk Maps and Assessment Portals (WRAP) that may better represent your community’s risk.
   • To meet priority criteria (also searchable via the CWDG tool), projects must: be located in an area identified as having a high or very high wildfire hazard potential; benefit a low-income community; be located in a community impacted by a severe disaster within the previous 10 years
     
     
2. Investigate whether your community qualifies for a match waiver. CWDG allows match requirements to be waived for communities deemed underserved, Tribes/Alaska Native Corporations, and Pacific Island territories. During the application process, you will need to provide documentation to demonstrate that you meet the waiver requirements. Documentation can be obtained from the CWDG tool (Cost-Share Waiver section is at the bottom of the results page), or having at least one census tract identified as “disadvantaged” in the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST).
   
   
3. Register for SAM.gov and Grants.gov! Registering on these federal websites is a required step for any entity to apply for and receive federal funding. Get this done early as SAM.gov registration can take several weeks. Here are a few resources to support you along the way:
   • This two-page reference document, developed by Community Navigator initiative partners FAC Net and Coalitions and Collaboratives, outlines the basic steps for registering on SAM.gov and Grants.gov as well as troubleshooting resources for these portals.
   • These four short videos developed by Community Navigator initiative partner Hispanic Access Foundation provides step-by-step guidance for registering on SAM.gov.
   • For additional 1:1 support, connect with APEX Accelerators, a group of state and county-level service providers dedicated to helping organizations and businesses complete registration on federal portals and databases.
     
     
4. Get familiar with a few important local, state, and national wildfire and forest planning documents. CWDG projects are expected to align with and build from the priorities and intent of their local CWPP or hazard mitigation plan, their state or territory’s Forest Action Plan (or equivalent Tribal plan) and the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy. As you begin thinking about the elements of a proposal, start reviewing the following documents. 

• The National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy
• Your State Forest Action Plan (we compiled this list of plans for states and territories)
• Your local Community Wildfire Protection Plan, FEMA-approved Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan and/or Tribal hazard mitigation plan. 
  

5. Start thinking about partners to involve in the CWDG proposal. The application will ask about your collaborators and how they will add value, support project sustainability and amplify impact.
   • Who might be missing? The FAC Wheel frameworks outlining the who, what, and when of fire adaptation work can help you think through which partners should be involved based on your project vision.
   • Read up on federal regulations about subawarding and contracting if you plan to include those funding mechanisms in your project: CFR 200.331 Subrecipient and contractor determinations
     
     
6. Take a look through a few high scoring applications, especially those that seem to align with your proposal idea. To find these applications, go to the CWDG application portal (cwdg.forestrygrants.org), click on prior years’ grant rounds then click on the “sort applications” hyperlink at the top of the page and choose to sort by average review score (see screenshots below).
   • The CWDG program staff also compiled CWDG Application Answer Narrative Examples, which shows high and low-scoring narrative answers from Round 1. 

Project-specific tips

Okay so you’re ready to start thinking about your application, great! Here are some considerations for:

If you will be applying for a grant to develop or update a CWPP…

• Review any applicable state guidance to ensure your proposal references inclusion of the correct partners and use of any necessary components in your plan development. For example, see Washington’s guidance, and Colorado’s guidance.  
• Check out this one-pager from the Community Navigators initiative for a quick snapshot of the process of developing a CWPP, along with estimated costs and timelines. 
• Watch our Community Navigators webinar: Community Wildfire Protection Planning with The Ember Alliance (also available in Spanish) which provides a more in-depth overview of CWPPs and the process for developing one, including public engagement, risk assessments, and cost and timeline considerations. 
• Start thinking about possible elements to incorporate in a CWPP project. The FAC Wheel and the FAC Pathways Tool can help foster broader thinking about the various elements of community wildfire adaptation that this plan may encompass.  
• Start thinking about what sort of community engagement will be a part of your CWPP development process. Will that include public meetings? Interactive mapping exercises? Surveys? You’ll want to have a clear idea of those activities and their timelines, costs, and collaborating partners when writing your CWPP proposal. These resources are a great place to start:
  • FAC Net’s Inclusive Community Engagement Guide for CWPPs
  • Community Mapping for Wildfire Resilience
• Take a look at other CWPPs to get a sense for what the final product may encompass. Check out the CWPP database on Fireadapted.org, or these examples shared by the Ember Alliance and Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization.

If you will be applying for a grant to implement a project included in a CWPP (or other equivalent plan)…

• Read through your local Community Wildfire Protection Plan, Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan, or Tribal hazard mitigation plan to identify high priority projects ripe for action that could be combined into a grant proposal. 
• Consider which partners are needed to implement the projects should they be funded. What sort of buy-in or commitment do you need to get prior to application submission? What sort of working relationship do you envision throughout the project?
  • Tools in this Collaborative Implementation Workbook can help partners think through the nature of collaborative relationships that could be most appropriate for their work together. 
    

And finally, a few last reminders and helpful hints: 

Once the application period opens:

• Read the Notice of Funding Opportunity! Pay particular attention to the grant deadline, submission instructions, scoring criteria, and grant waiver instructions.
• Identify and connect with your state or federal point of contact, which should be listed in the NOFO. This person can help answer questions, brainstorm ideas, and troubleshoot challenges. In Round 2, applicants also were required to request a unique application link from these points of contact. It’s in your best interest to establish a good relationship early!
• Look for events hosted by CWDG program managers to talk about the NOFO and answer general questions. Last year there were several hosted office hours to help answer questions. Check the Forest Service’s CWDG website and other state program websites for updates. 

The following are a few more topic-specific takeaways we heard from past applicants.

• Severe disaster impact: As part of the priority criteria, applicants are asked to explain how a severe disaster in the past 10 years has impacted their wildfire risk. Simply listing declared disaster(s) identified via the CWDG tool is not enough! Applicants must also include a narrative description that demonstrates how the disaster has impacted the community’s wildfire risk. 
• Sustainability: Applicants are asked to explain how the project and the project’s benefits will be carried forward beyond the life of the grant. Provide concrete ideas for how partners will continue to sustain the intent and goals of the project, whether that be through a CWPP action committee or stated commitments by various collaborators to continue to move projects forward.

While these are helpful tips from our work with communities on CWDG application review and CWPP development, the best source of information for CWDG and any other federal program is the NOFO and official sources of guidance, available on grants.gov.

Additionally, thanks to FAC Net’s partnership with the Forest Service’s Community Navigators initiative, we are working with several of our amazing FAC Net member organizations, as well as contractors and other partners to provide individualized support for CWDG applications. For those interested in applying for this grant, Community Navigators can help with proposal development, application review, federal portal registration, or other needs. Simply fill out our interest form here to be connected to a navigator. 

FAC Net staff will update this page when the CWDG application period opens and will send out a notice to all blog subscribers. If you aren’t on our list, make sure to subscribe today!

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