Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to Fund up to $9 Million to Advance Wildfire Science
Grants through the Joint Fire Science Program will advance research into preventing wildfires and restoring public lands and forests after fires have occurred
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BOISE – The Biden-Harris administration this week announced $9 million in new grant opportunities from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to advance research into wildfire prevention and post-fire restoration on federal lands. The Joint Fire Science Program is accepting applications for grants to research innovative fuels treatments and post-fire rehabilitation efforts through December 20, 2022, for fiscal year 2023.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is bringing much-needed support to communities across the country to increase the resilience of lands facing the threat of wildland fires and to better support federal wildland firefighters. Overall, the Law provides $5.1 billion over the next five years to the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture to invest in preparedness, fuels management, post-fire restoration, and fire science.
“With increasing wildfire activity due to climate change, it is imperative we fund research to better understand how to manage fire prone landscapes now and into the future,” said Grant Beebe, BLM Assistant Director of Fire and Aviation, based at the National Interagency Fire Center. “The Joint Fire Science Program brings the science and management community together in a unique, collaborative manner so that research can be used to make sound decisions on the ground.”
Funding opportunities for wildland fire research priorities are posted on the Joint Fire Science Program’s website at https://www.firescience.gov/JFSP_funding_announcements.cfm.
In 1998, Congress directed the U.S. Departments of the Interior and Agriculture’s Forest Service to develop a Joint Fire Science Program to prioritize and fund sound scientific studies to support land management agencies and other stakeholders as they address wildland fire management issues. Since then, the Joint Fire Science Program has released an annual cycle of open and competitive peer reviewed proposal solicitations for current wildland fire research priorities. Over the last 24 years, the Joint Fire Service Program has invested over $300 million in hundreds of research projects.
The program solicits proposals from both government and non-government entities in two announcement categories: Primary Research and Regional Fire Science Exchange.
Primary Research
The following topics are in this year’s Primary Research solicitation:
- Fuels treatment effectiveness longevity under climate change,
- Fuels treatment effectiveness across landscapes,
- Pre-wildfire management actions to reduce post-fire hazards, and
- Social and political factors that influence fire suppression and rehabilitation costs.
Up to $6 million in Primary Research grants will be awarded for fiscal year 2023.
Regional Fire Science Exchange
The Regional Fire Science Exchange solicitation is focused on leading and executing a regional fire science exchange in six areas: Alaska, Great Basin, Northern Rockies, Oak Woodlands, Northwest, and Pacific Islands. The Bureau of Land Management anticipates more than $2.7 million in funding for the regional fire science exchange through this announcement, depending on available funds. The Fire Science Exchange Network is a national collaboration of 15 regional fire science exchanges that provides the most relevant, current wildland fire science information to federal, state, local, Tribal, and private stakeholders within ecologically similar regions. It brings together fire managers, practitioners, and scientists to address regional fire management needs and challenges.
In addition to receiving annual funding from Congress, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides the Joint Fire Science Program an additional $20 million over five years. The program will use these funds for projects focused on social and ecological recovery of communities impacted by wildfire, adaptation for fire regimes impacted by climate change, collaborative development of ecosystem mapping products for fire and fuels management, and much more.
For more information on the Program and these research opportunities, contact Ed Brunson, JFSP program manager, at ebrunson@blm.gov or (208) 387-5975.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.