California Climate Investments (CCI) Fire Prevention Grant Program

Grants to California government agencies, nonprofit organizations, Native American Tribes, and fire safety councils for wildfire mitigation activities in the northern and southern regions of the state. Applicants must request a project tracking number prior to submitting an application. Funding is intended for three types of activities: fire prevention planning, fire prevention education, and hazardous fuel reduction.

Projects should be designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions during project activities and over time through wildfire reduction. Projects that benefit or focus on assisting those with special needs (i.e. low income, disabled, or elderly) will receive additional priority, as will projects that demonstrate a carbon benefit by reducing the carbon emissions during the implementation of the project. Disadvantaged communities and low-income communities will also be given preference. 

The Fire Prevention Grants Program funds three types of activities:

Hazardous Fuel Reduction

• Vegetation clearance in critical locations to reduce wildfire intensity and rate of spread.
  
• Creation or maintenance of fuel breaks in strategic locations, as identified in CAL FIRE Unit Fire Plans, a Community Wildfire Protection Plan, or similar strategic planning document.
• Removal of ladder fuels to reduce the risk of crown fires.
• Creation of community-level fire prevention programs, such as community chipping days, roadside chipping, and green waste bin programs.
• Selective tree removal (thinning) to improve forest health to withstand wildfire.
• Modification of vegetation adjacent to roads to provide for safer ingress and egress of evacuating residents and responding emergency personnel.
• Reduction of fuel loading around critical firefighting infrastructure, including, but not limited to, fire hydrants, water drafting locations, and staging areas.
• Purchase of fuel modification equipment not to exceed $250,000 (excluding vehicles).
• Projects to improve compliance with defensible space requirements as required by Public Resources Code Section 4291 through increased inspections and assistance for low-income people.
• Removal of dead and dying trees that pose a threat to public health and safety.

Fire Prevention Education

• Workshops, meetings, materials creation, and other educational activities with the purpose of increasing knowledge and awareness of information that could be used to reduce the total number of wildland fire and acres burned. 
• To educate the public on wildfire mitigation and risk reduction strategies.

Fire Prevention Planning

• Wildfire risk or related mapping.
• Creation or update of strategic wildfire planning documents, such as:
• Evacuation plans
• Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP).
• Local Hazard Mitigation Plans
• Safety Elements
• Wildfire prevention plans
• Development of evacuation plans. 
• Research to determine standards for structural codes and regulations
• Creation or updates to wildfire mitigation plans.

For information about eligible costs see see: https://www.fire.ca.gov/media/5xhlvdyu/20-21-fp-grant-application-reader-extended-version-rev-3-9-21.pdf#page=21