Home » Kentucky Firewise Community Grants applications accepted through July 15

Kentucky Firewise Community Grants applications accepted through July 15

FRANKFORT, Ky. (May 29, 2012) — The Kentucky Division of Forestry is accepting applications for this year’s Firewise Community Grant Program. Kentucky Firewise is a program designed to provide technical and financial assistance to communities, counties and organizations in fire-prone areas known as the wildland/urban interface.

Firewise grants provide funding for a variety of activities and projects that emphasize safe planning and design, effective emergency response and individual responsibility for safer home design. Specifically, the grant program includes the following objectives:

· Provides cost-share funds for fire mitigation and Firewise activities;

· Fosters closer relationships with fire departments and communitie;

• Educates the public about the benefits of fire mitigation;

· Reduces the risks of wildfire in wildland/urban interface areas; and

·Requires completion of a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP).

Requests for grant funding range from $1,000 to $20,000 and will be administered through a cost-share reimbursement system. All grant recipients must provide a match of 20 percent of the total project costs with non-federal or in-kind contributions. Eligible projects include development of local Firewise Councils; GIS mapping of at-risk communities; mechanical removal or reduction of hazardous fuels; Firewise or fire mitigation educational activities; and consulting services to complete a community wildfire hazard assessment or a CWPP.

Additional details about eligibility and program objectives along with application forms and proposal instructions are available on the division’s website.

Grant proposals must be received by the Kentucky Division of Forestry, 627 Comanche Trail, Frankfort, KY 40601 by 4:30 p.m. on July 15. For additional information, call Jennifer Turner at 1-800-866-0555.