Hawai‘i Wildfire Community Risk Reduction Grant Program

Hawai‘i Wildfire Community Risk Reduction Grant Program (FY25-26)

Submissions are Closed

Featured Grantees

The 2025 cohort includes nine awardees. Below, we feature just a few of the organizations that have given permission to share their work publicly. These highlights represent a sample of the innovative, place-based strategies underway across the islands:

North Kohala Community Resource Center / West Kohala Wildfire Alliance (Hawai‘i Island): Clearing hazardous fuels and improving firefighter access through manual work and managed grazing.

This project focuses on reducing hazardous fire fuels along roadsides and around homes, creating defensible space, and improving firefighter access. Methods include manual clearing, brush trimming, and managed grazing by goats or cattle in larger or hard-to-reach areas.

Kailapa Community Association (Hawai‘i Island): Developing a strategic grazing plan to manage hazardous vegetation using livestock.

This project will develop a strategic grazing plan and lay the groundwork for a grazing cooperative to manage hazardous vegetation using livestock. Key components include training and capacity building, visioning and planning, and formal grazing plan development. The final plan will support the Community Homestead Association, DHHL, or a future operator in launching the grazing program by 2026.

Hawai‘i Rangeland Stewardship Foundation – Na‘alae Beef Company (Maui): Reducing wildfire risk through targeted mowing and follow-up grazing.

This project will reduce wildfire risk through targeted mowing in two areas. In Waiheʻe, 35 acres of woody brush and haole koa will be cleared to encourage regrowth of desirable forage that cattle and sheep can manage through grazing. In Waiehu, overgrown roadways will be brush-mowed to prevent fire from reaching the ranch and nearby residential areas.

ʻĀina Alliance (Kaua‘i): Developing a strategic grazing plan to manage hazardous vegetation using livestock.

This fuel reduction project will widen 1.7 miles of existing roads that serve as vital access routes for emergency response and evacuation. It will also include the installation of approximately 13,000 feet of perimeter fencing across five zones, with strategically placed gates to control access and support livestock management. The project will also address the removal of illegal dumping and abandoned vehicles to further reduce wildfire risk.

  • Program Overview

    The Hawai‘i Wildfire Community Risk Reduction Grant Program aims to reduce wildfire risk to communities, infrastructure, and natural resources across the state. Funding provided by The Department of Land & Natural Resources Division of Forestry & Wildlife through Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization will support hazardous fuels reduction and wildfire prevention planning to enhance community resilience.

    This program prioritizes projects that:

    • Reduce or manage hazardous vegetation and fuel loads in wildfire-prone areas.

    • Develop and implement wildfire fuel mitigation plans.

    • Support community collaboration to reduce wildfire hazards.

    Eligible Project Categories

    Grant funds will be allocated to three primary areas:

    1. Hazardous Fuels Reduction

    Projects must focus on reducing fire intensity and spread through:

    • Removal of hazardous vegetation in wildfire-prone areas.

    • Creation and maintenance of firebreaks, fuel breaks, and defensible spaces.

    • Roadside vegetation management to improve evacuation routes and emergency access.

    • Creation of shaded fuel breaks.

    • Community chipping programs to support defensible space efforts.

    2. Wildfire Prevention Planning

    Eligible planning projects should support fire-adapted community strategies through:

    • Evacuation planning, including mapping evacuation routes and emergency shelter locations.

    • Development of fuel management strategies within a community for high-risk areas.

    Grant Eligibility

    Eligible applicants include:

    • Nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status

    • Community associations with 501(c)(4) status

    • State and local government entities

    Ineligible applicants include private individuals, for-profit businesses, and homeowners' associations without nonprofit status.

    Funding Guidelines

    • Grant funding limit per project: Up to $300,000 (projects may be partially funded)

    • Project duration: Work must be completed by May 31, 2026

    • Match funding: Projects require a 25% match of the requested funding amount. Match can be met via cash or in-kind contributions.

    Performance Metrics & Reporting

    Grantees must track and report the following metrics:

    • Acres treated through fuels reduction.

    • Miles of firebreaks or fuel breaks installed or maintained.

    • Number of evacuation routes improved.

    • Number of people engaged through education programs.

    • Number of defensible space projects completed.

    Quarterly progress reports are required, detailing project achievements, challenges, and financial expenditures. A final report with before-and-after photos, GIS data (if applicable), and program impact assessments will be required at project completion.

    Grant Selection Criteria

    Applications will be evaluated based on:
    ✅  Demonstrated wildfire risk reduction benefits.
    ✅   Alignment with existing wildfire prevention plans.
    ✅  Project feasibility and sustainability.
    ✅  Cost-effectiveness and funding match (if applicable).

    Priority will be given to projects benefiting communities that rank Medium to Very High Risk in all four categories (risk to homes, wildfire likelihood, vulnerable populations, and risk reduction zones) on wildfirerisk.org.

    This is a one-year project opportunity. Project proposals must demonstrate that they are shovel-ready (immediately implementable) and able to be completed by May 31, 2026.

    Application Process

    1. Application Period: Opens 5/1/2025, closes 5/21/2025.

    2. Review Process: Applications will be reviewed for completeness and alignment with program priorities.

    3. Award Notification: Selected applicants will be notified by 6/15/2025.

    4. Grant Agreements Executed: No work may begin until the grant agreement is fully signed.

    Compliance & Reporting

    • All projects must comply with Hawai'i's environmental and safety regulations.

    • No reimbursable work may begin before final grant approval.

    • Quarterly progress reports and a final report are required.

    • Audits may be conducted to ensure compliance with program guidelines.

    Contact Information

    For more information, application materials, and assistance, please contact grantprograms@hawaiiwildfire.org

  • Wailea Property Owners Association - Hawai‘i Island

    Before: Overgrown vegetation and accumulated fuels increased wildfire risk around nearby properties.

    After: Funded crews completed firebreak maintenance using local labor, equipment rentals, and essential supplies to reduce wildfire risk and protect surrounding homes and lands.

  • Aina Alliance - Kaua‘i

    Metal debris and abandoned vehicles removed from project areas are being hauled away as part of ongoing fuel reduction work. Clearing these materials helps reduce wildfire risk, restore access routes, and improve safety for surrounding lands and communities.

  • Aina Alliance - Kaua‘i

    A compact excavator equipped with a mulching attachment clears overgrown vegetation along key access roads. This fuel reduction work widens routes for emergency response, reduces wildfire risk, and supports long-term land management across the project area.

  • Aina Alliance - Kaua‘i

    Overgrown brush is being cleared to widen access routes and create safer conditions for emergency response. This fuel reduction work helps protect nearby properties, reduce wildfire spread potential, and restore healthy, manageable landscapes.

  • Aina Alliance - Kaua‘i

    Dense, overgrown grasses were cut and cleared to lower wildfire fuel loads and open up safer access routes. This maintenance work reduces ignition risk, improves visibility, and helps protect nearby lands and communities.

  • Aina Alliance - Kaua‘i

    Description The removal of abandoned vehicles and debris is helping reduce wildfire hazards and restore community lands. Clearing out old car parts and illegal dumping not only lowers ignition risk but also improves safety and access for residents and emergency responders.goes here

  • Aina Alliance - Kaua‘i

    Heavy equipment is used to load and remove abandoned cars and metal debris from project areas. This cleanup effort reduces wildfire risk, eliminates hazardous materials, and provides an important community service by restoring safe, usable land.

  • Aina Alliance - Kaua‘i

    Sheep graze on non-native grasses within newly fenced areas, helping naturally reduce wildfire fuels. Using livestock for vegetation management provides an environmentally friendly, low-impact way to keep grass growth in check and maintain safer landscapes.

  • Kaʻala Farm, Inc. - Oʻahu

    ʻĀina-based crew members and partners are creating a 10-foot green fuel break by removing invasive grasses and koa haole, installing irrigation, and replanting native species like koa, ‘a‘ali‘i, and ʻulu. This restoration work reduces wildfire risk while revitalizing native habitat and community stewardship of the land.

  • Kaʻala Farm, Inc. - Oʻahu

    Aerial view of the project site where teams are creating a 10-foot green fuel break to protect surrounding lands from wildfire. Crews are removing invasive grasses and koa haole, replanting native species, and restoring healthy vegetation to strengthen natural fire barriers and ecosystem resilience.

  • Kaʻala Farm, Inc. - Oʻahu

    Overgrown grasses and vines have overtaken this fence line, creating a buildup of dry fuel that increases wildfire risk. Clearing and maintaining these areas helps protect infrastructure, improve visibility, and reduce the chance of fire spreading through unmanaged vegetation.

Hawai‘i Wildfire Community Risk Reduction Grant Program

About the Program

The Hawai‘i Wildfire Community Risk Reduction Grant Program is a partner program with the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) and Hawai‘i Wildfire Management Organization (HWMO).

Launched in 2025, this pilot program was created to reduce wildfire risk to communities, infrastructure, and natural resources across the state. Modeled after national Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) grant program, it supports hazardous fuels reduction projects and wildfire prevention planning designed to strengthen community resilience.

2025 Cohort Overview

We received a total of 22 applications requesting $4.7 million. From these, nine awardees were selected: eight received their full budget requests, and one received a reduced, revised budget, for a total of $1.5 million awarded.

  • Fuel reduction projects: 8 awardees were funded to reduce hazardous vegetation and fuel loads across 12,283.3 acres, totaling $1,445,000.

  • Wildfire prevention/mitigation planning: 1 awardee was funded to develop wildfire mitigation plans covering 310 acres for $55,000.

Across Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Maui Nui, and Hawaiʻi Island, these projects represent shovel-ready, community-driven solutions to reduce wildfire risk on the ground.

Why It Matters

Hawai‘i’s wildfire risk is growing in both frequency and intensity. This grant program puts resources directly into the hands of local organizations, funding on-the-ground action to:

  • Reduce hazardous fuels

  • Improve emergency access

  • Restore ecosystems

  • Protect water supplies

  • Strengthen community partnerships