State Fire Assistance Program
The Nevada Division of Forestry (NDF) is responsible, in conjunction with a variety of federal, state and local cooperators, for developing and maintaining efficient and effective fire protection services through the Cooperative Fire Program of the State of Nevada. For the past several years, the National Fire Plan and the US Forest Service have made it possible for states to develop SFA grant programs. The intent of the SFA grant program is to provide funding to reduce risk and moderate the threat of catastrophic fire, especially in Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) areas. The four areas of emphasis are to:
- Improve prevention/education in the interface
- Reduce hazardous fuels
- Restore fire-adapted ecosystems
- Promote community assistance/planning
The State Fire Assistance grant program provides funding for fuels projects in each of Nevada’s seventeen counties. Funding is used to assess, plan and implement fuels treatment projects using a combination of hand crews, mechanical thinning, chipping, mulching, and seeding. Grant funded projects reduce the threat of catastrophic fire by developing green strips, creating defensible space and improving forest health. NDF awards this funding through a competitive grant process each year.
The National Fire Plan
In August 2000, President Clinton directed the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior to develop a plan to respond to severe wildland fires, reduce their impacts on rural communities, and assure sufficient firefighting capacity in the future.
The Plan called for action that federal agencies, in cooperation with States and local communities, can take to reduce immediate hazards to communities in the urban-wildland interface area, and to ensure that sufficient resources are available and prepared for extreme fire conditions in the future.
National fire plan’s five key points:
Firefighting: Assure adequate preparedness for coming fire seasons.
Rehabilitation and Restoration: Restore landscapes and rebuild communities damaged by wildfire.
Hazardous Fuels Reduction: Invest in projects to reduce fire risk.
Community Assistance: Work directly with communities to assure adequate protection.
Accountability: Be accountable, and establish adequate oversight and monitoring for results.
2012 State Fire Assistance Grant Application
