Cooperative Fire
State Fire Capacity
This program provides financial and technical support directly to the states to enhance firefighting capacity, support community-based hazard mitigation, and expand outreach and education to homeowners and communities concerning fire prevention and hazard mitigation. The program requires a 50-50 match by the state. Program delivery is through the State Forester.
Program Benefits:
- Complements Federal firefighting forces to optimize fire protection across ownerships;
- Enhances state and local fire protection entities capability and capacity (training, equipment, preparedness, and education);
- Engagement of communities and homeowners to identify interface fire issues and develop local solutions;
- Coordinates hazardous fuels reduction and other mitigation activities through a collaborative inter-agency effort to achieve landscape level benefits.
- Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) State Fire Assistance funding carries the same authorities as State Fire Assistance and supplements each state’s capacity to manage wildfire.”
Program Contact
Sierra Hellstrom
R4 Program Manager
801-940-4935
sierra.hellstrom@usda.gov
Chris (CJ) Johnson
R1 Program Manager (including all of Idaho)
406-529-7751
christopher.johnson5@usda.gov
Volunteer Fire Capacity
This program provides financial, technical, and other assistance (matched on a 50-50 basis either by the state or community) to rural communities with a population of less than 10,000. The State Foresters and their staff deliver this program.
Program Benefits:
- Funding to renovate equipment obtained through the Federal Excess Personal Property and Firefighter Property Programs;
- Improves fire protection capabilities and capacity in rural areas to protect lives and other rural investments;
- Improves effectiveness of fire protection in wildland-urban interface areas;
- Complements state and Federal firefighting forces to optimize fire protection across ownerships; and
- Complements assistance programs provided by Department of the Interior, including the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Park Service.
- “IIJA Volunteer Fire Assistance funding supplements Volunteer Fire Capacity and supplements wildfire suppression capabilities in rural communities.”
Program Contacts
CJ Johnson
R1 Cooperative Fire Program Manager (includes all of Idaho)
406-529-7751
christopher.johnson5@usda.gov
Sierra Hellstrom
R4 Cooperative Fire Program Manager
801-940-4935
sierra.hellstom@usda.gov
Community Fire Protection (Hazardous Fuels)
The objective of this program is to reduce the undesired effects of large, destructive wildfires by reducing the volume of hazardous fuels on forests, woodlands, shrublands, and grasslands. Grants are available for work on adjacent non-Federal lands for the purpose of protecting communities when hazard fuels reduction activities are planned on National Forest System (NFS) lands.
Program Contacts
Chris (CJ) Johnson
Program Lead for Montana, and North Dakota (Idaho is split between R1 & R4)
406-529-7751
christopher.johnson5@usda.gov
Josh Warden
Program Lead for Nevada and Utah
208-849-2464
joshua.warden@usda.gov
Community Wildfire Defense Grants
Program Benefits:
- The program helps communities and Tribes plan for and reduce wildfire risk and implement the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy.
- Funds can be used to develop and revise Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP) and implement projects described in CWPP.
Program Contacts
Mario Gomez
R1 Program Lead
406-329-3232
mario.gomez@usda.gov
Josh Warden
R$ Program Lead
208-849-2464
joshua.warden@usda.gov
Federal Excess Property and the Fire Fighting Program
Federal Excess Personal Property (FEPP) Program
The U.S. Forest Service administers the program, with delivery through the State Forester. The Federal excess personal property (FEPP) program reuses excess Federal property obtained from the military and other Federal sources for use in rural and wild land firefighting. This equipment is loaned by agreement to State Foresters who can sub-loan it to local firefighting organizations.
Program Benefits
- Enhanced state and local fire protection capabilities by providing equipment at a fraction of the cost of purchasing new or used.
- Complements the State Fire and Volunteer Fire Assistance programs to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of fire protection across ownerships.
Firefighter Property Program (FFP)
The U.S. Forest Service administers the program for the Department of Defense, with delivery through the State Forester. The Firefighter Property Program reuses excess Department of Defense property for use in fire and emergency services. This equipment is obtained through agreement to State Foresters who may retain ownership of the equipment for as long as it is used for its intended purpose. The property can either be sub-loaned or ownership can be passed to fire or emergency service organizations.
Program Benefits
- Enhances state and local fire protection capabilities by providing equipment at a fraction of the cost of purchasing new or used.
- Complements the State Fire and Volunteer Fire Assistance programs, as well as the Federal Excess Personal Property programs to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of fire protection across ownerships.
- Ownership passes to the State or local fire and emergency service organizations.
- Newer and better equipment can be obtained through this program.
Program Contacts
Chris (CJ) Johnson
R1 Program Lead for Montana, and North Dakota (including all of Idaho)
406-529-7751
christopher.johnson5@usda.gov
Josh Warden
R4 Program Lead
208-849-2464
joshua.warden@usda.gov
IIJA State Forest Action Plans
Program Benefits
- Every state has a Forest Action Plan. This program contributes to each state’s capacity and flexibility to implement the conservation, protection, and enhancement of its forests and grasslands.
Program Contacts
Chris (CJ) Johnson
R1 Program Lead for Montana, and North Dakota (including all of Idaho)
406-529-7751
christopher.johnson5@usda.gov
Josh Warden
R4 Program Lead
208-849-2464
joshua.warden@usda.gov
Wildfire Prevention, Education, and Mitigation
Program Benefits
- This program delivers sustainable wildfire prevention and community wildfire mitigation programs, integrated at all levels of the agency to reduce human-caused ignitions and wildfire impacts to communities.
Program Contacts
Chris (CJ) Johnson
R1 Program Lead for Montana, and North Dakota (including all of Idaho)
406-529-7751
christopher.johnson5@usda.gov
Josh Warden
R4 Program Lead
208-849-2464
joshua.warden@usda.gov
All-Hazard Response
Program Benefits
- This program coordinates with tribes, states, and local governments to implement the National Response Framework. USDA Forest Service is the primary agency supporting the Firefighting Emergency Response Function. This function is accomplished by mobilizing firefighting resources in support of local, state, tribal, territorial, and insular area wildland, rural, and urban interface firefighting agencies nationwide.
Program Contacts
Chris (CJ) Johnson
R1 Program Lead for Montana, and North Dakota (including all of Idaho)
406-529-7751
christopher.johnson5@usda.gov
Josh Warden
R4 Program Lead
208-849-2464
joshua.warden@usda.gov