BLM Fuels Management and Community Fire Assistance Program Activities

 

Fuels Management Program activities represent strategic investments in managing vegetation through active management to reduce the intensity, severity or negative effects of wildfire. It provides cost-effective benefits to the American people, helps restore and maintain healthy ecosystems, and supports communities in their efforts to become fire-adapted. Program activities include: programs that develop local capability including assessment and planning, mitigation activities, and community and homeowner education and implementation; fire prevention, plan and implement fuels management activities, including the training, monitoring or maintenance associated with such fuels management activities, on federal land, or on adjacent nonfederal land for activities that benefit resources on federal land; enhance the knowledge of rural fire districts by providing assistance in education and training; assist with the prevention of wildfires to reduce the risk and impact to communities and their values. This program continues to advance the Department of the Interiors priorities to create a conservation stewardship legacy while generating revenue and utilizing our natural resources. BLMs continued commitment to reduce and streamline its processes and procedures to serve its customers and the public better and faster across all its program areas. These reforms allow the Bureau to realign time and resources to completing important onthe-groundwork. This program also supports the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Public Law 117-58, Sec. 40803 Wildfire Risk Reduction. This program supports projects funded through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Sections 50221 Resilience, 50222 Ecosystems Restoration and 50303 DOI.

Active 15.228 Bureau of Land Management, Department of The Interior B - Project Grants; I - Use of Property, Facilities, and Equipment; L - Dissemination of Technical Information; M - Training Fiscal Year 2016 Anticipating 130 proposals and 15-20 awards to be made. Communities at risk from catastrophic wildland fires to provide assistance in the following areas: assessment and planning, mitigation activities, and community and homeowner education and action; plan and implement hazardous fuels reduction activities, including the training, monitoring or maintenance associated with such hazardous fuels reduction activities, on federal land, or on adjacent nonfederal land for activities that mitigate the threat of catastrophic fire to communities and natural resources in high risk areas; and enhance local and small business employment opportunities for rural communities.
Fiscal Year 2017 Communities at risk from catastrophic wildland fires to provide assistance in the following areas: assessment and planning, mitigation activities, and community and homeowner education and action; plan and implement hazardous fuels reduction activities, including the training, monitoring or maintenance associated with such hazardous fuels reduction activities, on federal land, or on adjacent nonfederal land for activities that mitigate the threat of catastrophic fire to communities and natural resources in high risk areas; and enhance local and small business employment opportunities for rural communities.
Fiscal Year 2018 Communities at risk from catastrophic wildland fires to provide assistance in the following areas: assessment and planning, mitigation activities, and community and homeowner education and action; plan and implement hazardous fuels reduction activities, including the training, monitoring or maintenance associated with such hazardous fuels reduction activities, on federal land, or on adjacent nonfederal land for activities that mitigate the threat of catastrophic fire to communities and natural resources in high risk areas; and enhance local and small business employment opportunities for rural communities.
Fiscal Year 2019 Current data not available
Fiscal Year 2020 JFSP funded 32 GRIN projects that support graduate students to enhance interaction with fire and fuels managers. Funded four projects to assess fuel breaks and fuel break systems, and funded three to reduce damages and losses to valued resources. The JFSP funds and provides oversight to a national collaborative of 15 regional wildland fire science exchanges: the Fire Science Exchange Network (FSEN). The FSEN provides the most relevant, current wildland fire science information to federal, state, local, tribal, and private stakeholders within ecologically similar regions. In Fiscal Year 2020 JFSP funded three FSEN projects via cooperative agreement.
Fiscal Year 2021 This program anticipates to accomplish fuels management activities on federal and non-federal land; Develop and implement fire education, training, and/or community action plans/programs; Conduct Community Wildfire Protection Assessment and planning activities; Expand community capability to enhance local employment opportunities; and Develop and implement short- and long-term Monitoring and Maintenance Plans for hazardous fuels reduction, community fire education and training, and community action programs.
Fiscal Year 2023 This program made 30 awards to accomplish fuels management activities on federal and non-federal land; Develop and implement fire education, training, and/or community action plans/programs; Conduct Community Wildfire Protection Assessment and planning activities; Expand community capability to enhance local employment opportunities; and Develop and implement short- and long-term Monitoring and Maintenance Plans for hazardous fuels reduction, community fire education and training, and community action programs.
Fiscal Year 2024 This program will continue to fund project to accomplish fuels management activities on federal and non-federal lands. Specific project are unknown at this time. Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) 43 U.S.C. §1737 (b)
Watershed Restoration and Enhancement Agreements 16 U.S.C. § 1011 (b)
Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2005 16 U.S.C. § 6518(2)
Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021, Public Law 116-260
This program was first implemented in the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2001, Title IV, Public Law 106-291. States and local governments at risk as published in the Federal Register, Indian Tribes, public and private education institutions, nonprofit organizations, and rural fire departments serving a community with a population of 10,000 or less in the wildland/urban interface. Not applicable. Not applicable. Preapplication coordination is required. For more information and local requirements, cooperative project proposals should be coordinated with the Bureau of Land Management local State or District/Field Offices. 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. Standard Form 424, Application for Federal Assistance, Standard Form 424A, Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs, Standard Form 424B, Assurances for Non-Construction Programs, and a written proposal, budget spreadsheet, a budget narrative/breakdown, and any other requirements specified in the Notice of Funding Opportunity Notice and submitted through www.grants.gov. State plan is not required for this application. All applications will be initially screened for eligibility and compliance with the requirements stated in the program Notice of Funding Opportunity Announcement. Applications passing this screening process will be forwarded for review by the proposal evaluation criteria, and any additional review factors, as stated in the funding announcement. Wildland Urban Interface community projects are reviewed at State level and funding recommendations are made through each State's annual work plan. Final budget approvals rest with the State Director or Field Office Manager. Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines Award time varies depending on the type of complexity of the project. Most awards are anticipated within 90 days or less after the announcement closes. Further information will be available for each project at the time of the funding opportunity announcement is posted on www.grants.gov and may be obtained by contacting the point of contact listed in the funding opportunity announcement. Final award decisions are not subject to appeal; however, the Bureau of Land Management will provide all applicants with information on why their proposal was not selected for award. Not applicable. First Level Screening -Basic Eligibility. Applications will be screened by the Grants Management Officer to ensure that applications meet basic eligibility requirements. Must meet the requirements of the Notice of Funding Opportunity posted on www.grants.gov, screening may include, but is not limited to: Program and/or legislative authority requirements are met; Submission is timely; and complete and properly executed SF-424 application package documents. Applications must satisfy basic eligibility screening requirements to be considered for further review. Second Level Evaluation -- Merit Review Evaluation is stated in each Notice of Funding Opportunity noticed post on www.grants.gov Third Level Review Pre-Award Clearance and Approvals. BLM will also complete a business evaluation and determination of responsibility. During these evaluations the Grants Management Officer will evaluate variables such as: Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System, financial stability, quality of management systems, past performance meeting prior award terms and conditions, reports and findings of audits performed, and applicant's ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory or other requirements. Fuels management activities are restricted to Federal lands, or adjacent non federal land for activities that benefit resources on Federal land. Most of these lands are located in the Western United States and Alaska. Assistance can be used for helping BLM support fuels management program activities, including community programs that develop local capability including assessment and planning, mitigation activities, and community and homeowner education and implementation ; fire prevention, plan and implement fuels management activities, including the training, monitoring or maintenance associated with such fuels management activities, on federal land, or on adjacent non federal land for activities that benefit resources on federal land;enhance the knowledge of rural fire districts by providing assistance in education and training; assist with the prevention of wildfires to reduce the risk and impact to communities and their values. Funding is highly variable each fiscal year. For more specific information please contact the headquarters office. Performance Reports: Performance Reports, unless otherwise stated in the award document, recipients are required to submit at the minimum an annual basis within 90 days after the anniversary award date. Upon completion of the agreement, recipients shall submit a final report no later than 120 calendar day after the award end date. Not applicable. Records relating to work performed and costs are kept by the Bureau. There is no fixed records schedule. Records for grants awarded to non-federal entity will be maintained in accordance 2 CFR, Part 200, Subpart D Post Federal Award Requirements. Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. No specific restrictions. However, most projects are funded on a year to year basis and no more than five years. Funds are expended during a particular fiscal year. Most awards are anticipated within 90 days or less after the announcement closes. Frequency of recipient payment will be determined for each awarded assistance agreement at time of award. None/Not specified. Fire Planning & Fuels Management
National Interagency Fire Center
Boise, ID 83705 USA
jsimmons@blm.gov
Phone: 208-387-5151 http://www.nifc.gov 14-1125-0-1-302 (Cooperative Agreements (Discretionary Grants)) FY 22$5,758,362.00; FY 23 est $10,000,000.00; FY 24 est $17,500,000.00; FY 21$3,602,605.00; FY 20$3,602,605.00; FY 19$4,534,946.00; FY 18$4,864,265.00; FY 17$6,895,026.00; FY 16$3,708,000.00; - FY23 and FY24 to include funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Public Law 117-58, Section 40803, Wildfire Risk Reduction and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Sections 50221 Resilience, 50222 Ecosystems Restoration and 50303 DOI. Past partnership projects have ranged from $5,000 to $686,000. Average amount is $47,400 or less. BLM's Fuels Management Program activities are described in the program budget justifications for the wildland fire management programs (https://www.doi.gov/wildlandfire). A variety of public information on this plan is available by contacting the appropriate State Office or the National Interagency Fire Center's website at: http://www.nifc.gov. Fiscal Year 2016 (1) Modeling long-term effects of fuel treatments on fuel loads and fire regimes in the Great Basin. The project will assess the efficacy of fuel management strategies at decadal time-scales by synthesizing existing data to develop inputs for a vegetation dynamics model, the Ecosystem Demography (ED) model. The purpose of using the process-based ED model is to provide alternative future scenarios of the sagebrush-steppe ecosystem of the Great Basin under changing climate and fire regimes. (2) Relations among cheatgrass-driven fire, climate, and sensitive-status birds across the Great Basin. This project will model current and future spatial interactions among cheatgrass cover and biomass, precipitation, and fire across the Great Basin and to model current and future cover of sagebrush and herbaceous vegetation. We further will examine how projected changes in fire regimes and fire and fuels treatments may affect habitat quality for and probability of occupancy of sensitive-status breeding birds. Additionally, we will use statistical change-point analyses9 to detect any abrupt, nonlinear temporal changes—thresholds—in projected vegetation cover, habitat quality, and occupancy10 . Detection of ecological thresholds, if they exist, may suggest fuels treatments and restoration actions that will decrease the probability of entering into or remaining within undesirable ecological states. (3) Do perennial bunchgrasses competitively exclude Bromus tectorum in post-fire rehabilitation? This project will examine the distribution of tectorum and perennial bunchgrasses across plot, site, and landscapes scales on locations with and without post-fire rehabilitation using spatial analysis of photoquadrats. The spatial analyses will allow us to address the following research questions: a) Does seeding Poa secunda, elymoides, and cristatum after a fire reduce the dispersion of tectorum at the plot or site scale? b) Is the spatial distribution of grass species consistent among sites across landscapes? ID Firewise Community Fire Assistance Projects, CO-Community Fire Assistance Project, OR/WA Wildland Urban Interface and Community Fire Projects, WY Cooperative Fire/Fuels Reduction and Habitat Improvement, ID Twin Falls District Community Fire Assistance Project.
Fiscal Year 2017 ID Firewise Community Fire Assistance Projects, CO-Community Fire Assistance Project, OR/WA Wildland Urban Interface and Community Fire Projects, WY Cooperative Fire/Fuels Reduction and Habitat Improvement, ID Twin Falls District Community Fire Assistance Project.
Fiscal Year 2018 AZ Maricopa County Community Wildfire Protection Plan CO Community Fire Assistance, Southwest District CO supports a fuels reduction project for the Miller Canyon Ranch Subdivision in Mesa County Colorado Southwest Idaho Roadside Wildfire Mitigation Idaho Wildland Urban Interface Community Fire Assistance - Owyhee County
Fiscal Year 2019 ORWA Baker Co. Fire Preparedness & Mitigation ORWA Eastern Lane Unit Wildland Urban Interface and Community Fire Assistance ID Wildland Urban Interface Community Fire Assistance WY Fuels Reduction and Habitat Improvement CA Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) and Community Fire Assistance MT South Dakota Wildland Fire Academy and Community Assistance
Fiscal Year 2020 ORWA Southern Oregon Coast Gorse Fuels Reduction; ORWA Southern Oregon Coast Gorse Fuels Reduction; ORWA Eugene Wildland Urban Interface and Community Fire Assistance; ORWA Lane County Parks Wild Land Urban Interface And Community; Idaho Wildland Urban Interface Community Fire Assistance; NV CESU Expansion And Maintenance of the Alert Wildfire Nevada; NV CESU Expansion And Maintenance of the Alert Wildfire Nevada; NV CESU Expansion And Maintenance of the Alert Wildfire Nevada; WY Rawlins Field Office Hazardous Fuels Invasive And Noxious; CO: Building a Resilient And Fire Adapted Community; AK Copper River Community Wildfire Prevention Plan (CWPP); CO Fuels Management In Moffat County; Georgetown Fuels Reduction Project; OR/WA Coos County Cost Share Partnership; ORWA Refinement of Potential Wildfire Operational Delineation; AK Delta West Fuels Management Project
Fiscal Year 2021 Accomplish Fuels Management Activities on federal and non-federal land; Develop and implement fire education, training, and/or community action plans/programs; Conduct Community Wildfire Protection Assessment and planning activities; Expand community capability to enhance local employment opportunities; Develop and Implement short and long term Monitoring and Maintenance Plans for hazardous fuels reduction, community fire education and training, and community action programs.
Fiscal Year 2023 This program will continue to conduct Community Wildfire Protection Assessment and planning activities; Expand community capability to enhance local employment opportunities; Develop and short and long term Monitoring and Maintenance Plans for hazardous fuels reduction, community fire education and training, and community action programs. Accomplish Fuels Management Activities on federal and non-federal land; Develop and implement fire education, training, and/or community action plans/programs.
Fiscal Year 2024 Unknown at this time.