Historically, conservation districts have been an important local provider of forest health and community wildfire resiliency information to landowners/homeowners, forest stewardship planning and fire risk assessment services, and incentives to implement recommended practices that improve forest stand conditions and reduce forest fuels.

Community Resiliency

Community wildfire resiliency support activities and actions such as the Firewise USA© program, Fire Adapted Communities resources, Wildfire Ready Neighbors, and Ready Set Go, are important for landowners and communities to be aware of to increase the wildfire resiliency of their private property and communities.

Eligibility

See program guidelines.

Forms & Links

Reporting

End of fiscal year reporting is now required for this program and will be due July 10, 2026. In addition, CCA fiscal year reporting is also due July 10, 2026; however, the program report and the CCA report will be combined into one report. For insight on what to expect for this fiscal year program and CCA report, please refer to last year’s reports. While there will be some necessary modifications, the questions will largely be the same.

Post-Fire Recovery Needs Survey

To help SCC better understand the scope and scale of recovery needs, conservation districts are encouraged to complete the Post-Fire Recovery Needs Survey at any time to share current needs and priorities. To view submitted information statewide or to make edits to a previous submission, visit the Post-Fire Recovery Needs Dashboard.

About this Conservation Program

Background

Climate change and drought-associated increases in the frequency and severity of wildfires in Washington state, historical forest management practices, and increasing populations in rural and suburban areas make it vitally important that private landowners steward forest land for improved health and resilience and be prepared for wildfire.

Improving forest health for climate and wildfire resiliency is critical at the same time as rural populations are growing and forest parcels are becoming smaller and more numerous.

Resources

Firewise USA:

WA Fire Adapted Communities (WAFAC):

WA Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW):

Boise State University:

Additional resources:

Funding & How to Apply

The Washington State Conservation Commission (SCC) received an additional $1.25M for the Forest Health and Community Wildfire Resiliency Program for fiscal year 2027 (July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027). 

Files & Publications

Want more information? Check out the following files that are related to the Forest Health and Community Wildfire Resiliency Program.

File Name
Summary

Webinars

Find videos and trainings from this program.

May 11, 2026
Forest Health and Community Wildfire Resiliency Webinar
SCC has developed two options for allocating additional funds with the intention of making this application round a fair opportunity. This webinar solicited conservation district input to determine which option best meets CD's needs. We held a meeting to gather your input before finalizing the funding allocation process.
April 15, 2025
Conservation 101 - Forest Health and Community Wildfire Resiliency Program
The Forest Health and Community Wildfire Resiliency Program helps landowners and communities reduce wildfire risk through education, funding, and hands-on support to improve forest health and protect homes.

Success Stories from this Grant Program

Forest Health and Community Wildfire Resiliency (CWR)
Okanogan Conservation District

Jackson Ranch Wildfire Resiliency

Wildfire resilience work on Jackson Ranch near Nespelem, Washington was put to the test when the July 2026 Kaiser Canyon Fire swept through.

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Forest Health and Community Wildfire Resiliency (CWR)
Okanogan Conservation District

Supporting Post-Fire Recovery in the Lightning Creek Watershed

Okanogan Conservation District staff, alongside property owners Anne MacDonaugh and Cheryl McGinley, are working to restore the Lightning Creek Watershed following the 2021 Walker Creek Fire.

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Forest Health and Community Wildfire Resiliency (CWR)
Okanogan Conservation District

Building Wildfire Resiliency in Okanogan County

Okanogan Conservation District's wildfire resiliency team has completed over 100 home risk assessments this year, helping the community prepare for and reduce wildfire risks amid worsening drought conditions.

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Forest Health and Community Wildfire Resiliency (CWR)
Spokane Conservation District

Spokane Conservation District Leads Urban Forestry Innovation

Sixteen years ago, SCD began increasing the scope of its forestry work to include urban forest issues. Today, SCD is creating a conservation park in an old quarry where it hosts events, operates a nursery supplying trees for urban planning projects, and works on projects addressing urban forest education, inequality, and fire mitigation. Read the article at here.

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Forest Health and Community Wildfire Resiliency (CWR)
Cascadia Conservation District

Wildfire Preparedness Outreach

When a local Washington conservation district, Cascadia, evaluated the launch plan for a wildfire preparedness program in partnership with a federal agency, they discovered the program wasn’t reaching the intended audience.

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