Community Assistance Programs and Contacts State Fire Assistance The State Fire Assistance program provides technical training, financial assistance, and equipment to States to ensure state and local firefighting crews can deliver a safe, effective, and coordinated response to wildland fire. Funding is available for preparedness, high priority prevention, and mitigation education programs including FIREWISE. These funds complement readiness levels at the federal level and are available through consolidated grants to State Foresters. Funds are cost-shared on a 50:50 basis. Contact:  Cathy Scofield (MT, ND, ID) (406)329-3409 and Ken Kiser (UT, NV) (801)625-5264 Hazardous Fuels Reduction Cost-share funds are available for financial assistance to treat high-priority hazardous fuels. Funding is also available for FIREWISE projects, education, and community hazard mitigation projects. Proposals are evaluated, prioritized, and funded through a collaborative process with the State; delivery is through grants to the State Forester, and funds are cost-shared 50:50. Contact:  Cathy Scofield (MT, ND, ID) (406)329-3409 and Ken Kiser (UT, NV) (801)625-5264 Volunteer Fire Assistance The Volunteer Fire Assistance program provides critical funding and technical assistance directly to local and volunteer fire departments that protect communities with populations under 10,000. Funds improve the ability of rural fire departments to respond to wildfires, especially in the wildland/urban interface. Funding can be used for training and equipment to complement federal firefighting commitments, so protection capabilities can be enhanced across ownerships. Delivery is through consolidated grants to the State Forester, and funds are cost-shared on a 50:50 basis. Contact:  Cathy Scofield (MT, ND, ID) (406)329-3409 and Ken Kiser (UT, NV) (801)625-5264 Forest Health Management The Forest Health Management program provides technical and financial assistance in forest health to all federal agencies, states, and tribal governments in a coordinated national program of detecting, monitoring, evaluating, preventing, and suppressing invasive forest insects and diseases. State forestry agencies also receive funding through the Cooperative Forest Health Management program to assist private landowners in identifying and treating forest health problems on their own lands. Delivery is through Forest Service field offices along with the State Forester, and matching requirements vary from 50:50 to 25:75. Contact:  Gregg DeNitto (R1/R4) (406)329-3637 Noxious Weed Treatment Additional funds are available to treat noxious weeds on private, state, and tribal lands affected by fire. These funds will be available to local weed districts and cooperatives through the state agriculture departments. Matching requirements vary from 50:50 to 25:75. Contact:  Janet Valle (R1/R4) (801) 625-5258 Economic Action Programs This funding provides technical and financial assistance for long-term economic and social health of rural areas, by helping communities develop opportunities and enterprises through diversified uses of forest resources. Funding will provide marketing assistance to communities emphasizing utilization of hazardous fuels byproducts. Funding is also provided to increase the utilization and marketing capabilities in each state. Additional financial support is provided for the Four Corners Sustainable Forestry Partnership. Local Forest Service offices are identifying and forwarding projects for funding. Delivery is through a variety of partners:  state, federal, county, local, tribal governments, and not-for-profit corporations. Funds are cost-shared 80:20. Contact:  Dave Atkins (R1/R4) (406)329-3134 2002 Economic Assistance Programs in Montana Hazardous Fuels Cost-Share Incentives These incentives are for high-priority hazard mitigation projects in areas most affected by fires. Forest Service regions work with the states to identify needs and priorities on state, private, and tribal lands. Delivery is through consolidated grants to the State Foresters, and funds are cost-shared 50:50. Contact:  Cathy Scofield (MT, ID, ND) (406)329-3409 and Ken Kiser (NV, UT) (801)625-5264 Multi-Resource Stewardship Provides funding for preparation of multi-resource management plans on state, private, and tribal lands. Funds are also available for cost-share assistance for actual restoration efforts such as tree planting, revegetation, soil stabilization, and watershed restoration work on these lands. Funds are to benefit impacted communities and local workers/businesses. Delivery is through consolidated grants to the State Forester, and matching requirements vary from 50:50 to 75:25. Contact:  Dee Sessions (R1/R4) (801)625-5189 Economic Action Pilot Projects These projects help communities texpand and develop markets for wood products resulting from hazardous fuel removal – as well as forest resources that have been traditionally underutilized, such as small-diameter material. Grants for demo projects showcasing timber bridges, round timber construction, and biomass-to-energy projects will be emphasized. Delivery is through a variety of partners, including state, federal, county, local, tribal, and non-profits. Funds are cost-shared 80:20. Contact:  Dave Atkins (R1/R4) (406)329-3134 Community Planning Funding is available for development and revision of communities' strategic, action, and fire risk management plans. The goal for these funds is to increase community resiliency and capacity while creating an environment for development and growth. Funding will be targeted to communities most impacted by fires. Delivery is through grants awarded directly to communities and to a variety of other partners including state, county, and tribal governments, and not-for-profit corporations identified by the local National Forest in conjunction with the State Department of Commerce. Funds are cost shared 80:20. Contact:  Dave Atkins (R1/R4) (406)329-3134 For other Forest Service programs and resources at the national perspective please see the USDA Forest Service State and Private Forestry Cooperative Forestry site. For more information on Community Assistance and the National Fire Plan please visit the national site. Updated January 2004

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