The Montana Department of Natural and Conservation has announced $2 million in grant funds are available for projects that help further the implementation of the Montana Forest Action Plan.
“Supporting forest management projects at the local level through this grant is just one way the Department is advancing the Governor’s direction to treat more acres and meeting the goals of House Bill 883,” DNRC Director Amanda Kaster said.
Funding for the grant program comes from an allocation in House Bill 883 to the Department added in the 2023 legislative session to reduce wildfire risk, improve forest health, and enhance wildfire response and suppression capabilities of the state. The Department is using the cross-boundary plan and priority treatment areas established in the Forest Action Plan to guide the implementation of the additional funding.
Projects funded through the grant are encouraged to have multiple collaborating partners, engaged in cross-boundary management to reduce wildfire risk to communities and infrastructure and improve forest health. Successful applications also require a quick implementation timeframe.
“We are in the middle of a forest health and wildfire crisis – increasing the pace and scale of management is essential. That is why proposed projects should be ready for immediate implementation and be completed within 24 months,” Kaster said.
In a new process, the Department is currently accepting pre-application proposals intended to concisely capture the intent and mechanisms of a project and will be screened for relevance, addressing Forest Action Plan priorities and priority areas, readiness of project activities, and applicant and project eligibility.
More information on the application process and eligible projects is available at https://bit.ly/MTFAP2023Grants.
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