In addition to funding public education and outreach, there are multiple grant programs to in-crease the capacity of fire protection services and accomplish fuels reduction projects. The Curry County CWPP will be a useful guide for directing grant funding to priority projects throughout the county. Some local organizations and agencies have already taken advantage of federal funds
78 Curry County Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan. (1.1.14).
to accomplish fuels reduction projects and increase preparedness for wildfire response. This sec-tion describes some opportunities and challenges to capturing these external resources.
Federal Programs
National Fire Plan Community Assistance Grants
This grant program is a collaborative effort between multiple agencies to streamline the grant process and match appropriate funding sources with projects. Grant funding has been made available for WUI fuels treatment projects and fuels utilization and marketing projects. The total amount of funding has varied from $7 million in 2001 to $4.2 million in 2007. On average 30%
of project proposal are funded. Eligible projects are adjacent to federal lands, identified in com-munity wildfire plan and supported by a match of at least 50% (may be-in-kind).79
From 2001-2004, $7.4 million in federal funds were allocated to community assistance projects across a four-county area in Southwestern Oregon. Two of those projects were for prevention and education efforts. Others 2005 projects included 17 ground-based hazardous fuels reduction projects, 2 fuels utilization projects, and 4 planning and risk assessment projects. The total re-quest for federal funds for these 2005 projects is over $5 million.80
The CFPA and the Coos Bay District BLM have used grant funds available from the Nation Fire Plan for the benefit of communities in their jurisdictions. In 2004, Curry County received $250K from a community assistance grant in Curry County with the Emergency Services Program to continue the WUI assessment from the 2002 Biscuit Fire.81
Western States Fire Managers and Urban Interface Program
This money is allocated to the 17 western states and Pacific Island territories and is distributed through a competitive process administered by the Western States Fire Managers (WSFM). This grant’s source of funding is a federal appropriation to the USFS, State & Private Forestry Pro-gram. The WSFM is a working group established by the Council of Western State Foresters, a regional subcommittee of the National Association of State Foresters (NASF). A WSFM grant review committee meets in the fall to review and rank the applications. For 2006 funding, 204 applications for $30 million were received last year and the committee had an estimated $14 mil-lion to allocate. Each state is allowed only 15% of the available estimated dollars.82
In Oregon, grant applications are ranked by a committee of ODF staff prior to submission to the WSFM. To be eligible the project must benefit a community identified as high-risk in the state-wide risk assessment and as a high priority in a completed community wildfire protection plan.
Agness and Illahe are the only communities in a high-risk area according to the 2005 statewide assessment.83
79 PNW National Fire Plan Website. http://www.nwfireplan.gov/CommunityAsst.htm#Background. (April 22, 2007).
80 Southwest Oregon Fire Management Plan. (126).
81 Southwest Oregon Fire Management Plan. (127).
82 ODF Guidelines for the Western States Fire Managers Urban Interface Program.
http://www.oregon.gov/ODF/FIRE/docs/PREV/WSFMODFFuelsStrategyGuidance.pdf. (April 17 2007).
83 ODF Webpage. http://oregon.gov/ODF/FIRE/images/interimhighriskcommunities.jpg. (April 22, 2007).
Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG)
The primary goal of the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) is to meet the firefighting and emergency response needs of fire departments and nonaffiliated emergency medical services or-ganizations. Since 2001, AFG has helped firefighters and other first responders to obtain criti-cally needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training, and other resources needed to protect the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards. The Na-tional Preparedness Directorate in the Federal Emergency Management Agency administers the grants in cooperation with the U.S. Fire Administration. For fiscal year 2005, Congress reautho-rized the Assistance to Firefighters Grants for an additional 5 years through 2010.84
The Fire Prevention and Safety Grants (FP&S)
The Fire Prevention and Safety Grants (FP&S) are part of the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) and are under the purview of the National Preparedness Directorate in the Federal Emer-gency Management AEmer-gency. FP&S grants support projects that enhance the safety of the public and firefighters from fire and related hazards. The primary goal is to target high-risk populations and mitigate high incidences of death and injury. Examples of the types of projects supported by FP&S include fire prevention and public safety education campaigns, juvenile fire setter inter-ventions, media campaigns, and arson prevention and awareness programs. In fiscal year 2005, Congress reauthorized funding for FP&S and expanded the eligible uses of funds to include Fire-fighter Safety Research and Development.85
Non-Federal Programs
Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) Funding
Both the Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) and Rural Fire Assistance (RFA) programs are admin-istered by the Oregon Department of Forestry and are aimed at increasing the capacity of rural fire districts. Funding for the RFA program was cut for 2007 by the USDI and may not be funded in the future. The VFA program is funded through appropriations from the USDA Forest Service and has been funded at similar levels as the past. (The VFA program was formerly the Rural Community Fire Protection Program.) In 2007 the Cape Ferrelo RFPD was awarded $20K for equipment and the Port Orford RFPD won a similar amount also for equipment.86
A qualifying RFPD:87
• does not include incorporated communities with over 10,000 in population. (the largest incorporated community in Curry County is Brookings with approximately 6,300 people)
• plays a cooperative role in protecting rural communities near U.S. Forest Service Lands
• has an established mutual aid agreement with the ODF and/or a cooperative fire agree-ment with the U.S. Forest Service
• is compliant with NIMS certification requirements
84 FEMA - Assistance to Fire Fighters Grants Program. http://www.firegrantsupport.com/afg/. (April 17 2007).
85 FEMA – Fire Prevention and Safety Grants. http://www.firegrantsupport.com/fps/. (April 21, 2007).
86 ODF Grant Opportunities. http://www.oregon.gov/ODF/FIRE/fire.shtml#Grant_Opportunities. (April 17 2007).
87 ODF Grant Opportunities. http://www.oregon.gov/ODF/FIRE/docs/07VFARFAMan.pdf. (April 22, 2007).
Table 4.5 Grant programs administered by federal agencies for wildfire mitigation and response.
Grant Funding Agency Eligible Applicants Purpose
National Fire Plan
Counties, Cities, state and local governments, federally
FEMA Fire Departments Fire Operations &
Firefighter Safety, Fire
FEMA Fire Departments Fire Prevention
Table 4.6 State and locally administered grant programs for wildfire mitigation and response.
Grant Funding Agency Eligible Applicants Purpose
Volunteer Fire
Assistance Funding USDA FS through the Oregon Dept. of
Findings and Recommendations - Grant Programs
1. The Curry County CWPP should seek to leverage funding opportunities by meeting mul-tiple objectives (i.e. noxious weed eradication to reduce fuels adjacent to at-risk commu-nities).
2. The Curry County CWPP should establish a process to coordinate stakeholder organiza-tions to collaborate on grant applicaorganiza-tions.