The Department of the Interior today announced that over $20 million is available through President Biden's Investing in America agenda to strengthen local governments' wildfire response by converting vehicles to wildland fire engines. This pilot program, launched in February, is helping small, remote emergency response agencies quickly expand their wildfire response capacity as they continue to face the devastating impacts of climate change, drought and intensifying wildfires.
"Our nation experienced unprecedented wildfire activity this year, further demonstrating the need to expand our firefighting capacity and better equip local governments," said Secretary Deb Haaland. "Through this pilot program, President Biden's Investing in America agenda is providing resources to help more local governments rapidly respond when a wildfire threatens their communities and landscapes."
This funding can be used by local governments that provide emergency services to areas with a population of 50,000 or less to purchase slip-on tanker units, which allow them to quickly convert trucks and other vehicles to be operated as wildland fire engines. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides a total of $50 million for the pilot program, and up to $20 million is available during this second round of funding. In September, the Department awarded nearly $1.3 million to an initial 21 local emergency response agencies.
The Slip-on Tanker Pilot Program will strengthen coordination between the Interior Department, states and local communities to address the growing threat of wildfires. Improved collaboration is a central tenet of the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission's final report to Congress, which was released in September 2023. Established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Commission was charged with making recommendations to improve federal policies related to the mitigation, suppression and management of wildland fires in the United States. Its final report outlined 148 consensus-based recommendations to change the nation's relationship with wildfire.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is bringing much-needed support to communities across the country to increase the resilience of lands facing the threat of wildfires. The funding available today is part of more than $1.1 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding allocated by the Department to mitigate the risk of wildfires on public and Tribal lands, and better support wildland firefighters since the law was enacted in 2021.
Grant amounts will range from $10,000 to $500,000. Applications must be submitted through grants.gov by February 26, 2025.
