The Colorado State Forest Service is now accepting applications for the Forest Restoration and Wildfire Risk Mitigation (FRWRM) grant program. Community groups, fire protection districts, utilities and non-profit organizations are just some of the groups eligible to apply for grants from the $7.04 million funding pool. Applications will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. October 9, 2025, and applicants can request help from their local CSFS Field Office.

“Colorado communities are essential partners in protecting homes, infrastructure and lives from wildfire,” said Matt McCombs, state forester and director of the Colorado State Forest Service. “The General Assembly’s continued investment in the FRWRM program underscores a simple truth: Wildfire mitigation works. We’re seeing real results at the local level, and collaborative efforts across the state are building healthier, more resilient forests for all Coloradans.”

The FRWRM grant program helps fund projects that strategically reduce wildfire risk to property, infrastructure and water supplies and that promote forest health through scientifically based forestry practices and the utilization of woody material generated from project work. The competitive grant program can fund fuels and forest health projects that reduce hazardous fuels and promote forest health. These grant funds can also be used for capacity-building projects that provide communities with the resources and staffing necessary to plan and implement fuels and forest health projects. The projects can be on private, state, county or municipal forestlands.

There is a fund-matching component of the grant awards. The state can fund up to 50 or 75 percent of the cost of each awarded project; grant recipients are required to match at least 50 or 25 percent of the total project cost. This can be through cash or in-kind contributions, and the required matching amount depends on whether the project location falls within an area of “fewer economic resources,” as identified in the Colorado Forest Atlas.

Applicants must coordinate proposed projects with relevant county officials to ensure consistency with county-level wildfire risk reduction planning. Follow-up monitoring is a necessary component of this grant program to help demonstrate the relative efficacy of various treatments and the utility of grant resources. The CSFS will work with selected successful project applicants to conduct project monitoring and conduct site visits to assess effectiveness and completion of projects.

Additional preference will be given to projects that have some specific features:

• Substantially leverage additional financial resources
• Complement local measures adopted by communities to reduce wildfire risk
• Use the labor of an accredited Colorado Youth or Veterans Corps organization
• Include forest treatments that result in the protection of water supplies

Applications must be submitted electronically to local CSFS Field Offices by 5:00 p.m. MDT, October 9, 2025. A technical advisory panel convened by the CSFS will review project applications and make funding recommendations. Funding will be awarded by March 31, 2026.

Applications and additional information about the FRWRM grant program are available at CSFS Field Officesand on the CSFS website.