Webinar offered on how to prepare applications for Community Wildfire Defense Grants

Forest Service News Release

Yreka, Calif., September 11, 2023— The USDA Forest Service is offering a second webinar on how to prepare an application for a Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG). The 2023 open period for submittal of grant applications closes October 31, 2023. The CWDG program is intended to help at-risk local communities and Tribes plan for and reduce the risk of wildfire on private lands. The webinar is focused on communities in northern California and southern Oregon. Non-profits, state, county, and community government agencies, Tribes, townships, homeowner associations as well as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education are eligible to apply for this grant. This second of two webinars is being offered in lieu of in-person workshops that had to be cancelled because of recent wildfires.

With the goal of reducing risks to communities from wildfire, these grants can be used to develop or update Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs) to identify high risk areas. Additionally, grants can be used to implement projects described in CWPPs to reduce the risk of wildfire. For information on this grant program opportunity, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/fire/grants. Up to $250 million may be awarded for the 2023 grant cycle.

To help understand the scope of the grant funding, in 2022 the initial round of approved grants funded 100 projects for a total of $197 million. Funded projects can be viewed at https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/fire/grants/funded-proposals.

The webinar will be offered via Zoom on September 14, 2023 from 4:00pm to 6:00pm. Use the link below to join from any web browser. It is recommended that attendees sign on up to 15 minutes prior to the webinar beginning and follow Zoom instructions for accessing though a browser.

Zoom link to webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87176523240.

A recording of an identical webinar that was held August 31, 2023 can be viewed at https://dizco.com/CWDG/.

Additionally, the nationally sponsored recorded webinars on the Community Wildfire Defense Grant program are available from USDA Forest Service at https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/fire/grants. Scroll down to the heading of “Applicant Webinars” and click on one of the links for recorded webinars.

If you have questions about the September 14, 2023, webinar send them to the following email address: [email protected].

• Trump’s Latest Orders: A Catalyst for Siskiyou County’s Renaissance
  The winds of change are sweeping across America’s heartland, and few places stand to be transformed as dramatically as Siskiyou County, California. Nestled in the shadow of Mount Shasta, this rugged, resource-rich region has long been a quiet giant of natural wealth—minerals, timber, and fertile soil abound. Yet, for decades, Siskiyou’s potential has been shackled… Read more: Trump’s Latest Orders: A Catalyst for Siskiyou County’s Renaissance
• Yreka Resident Criticizes City Council Members’ Conduct
  “The following letter was submitted to Siskiyou News, addressed to the Yreka City Council. The author’s name has been withheld at their request due to privacy concerns.” Letter:City Council,As you both know, I have been attending quite a few council meetings as I care about our community very much. To say I am very, very… Read more: Yreka Resident Criticizes City Council Members’ Conduct
• Obituary: Neil Roger Lemos
  Neil Roger Lemos passed into eternal life on March 11, 2025, just shy of his 91st birthday. Born April 3, 1934 to Harold and Irene Lemos of Edgewood, Neil was a descendant of the Portuguese pioneers that arrived in Siskiyou County in the late 1850s. Neil spent most of his life in his hometown of… Read more: Obituary: Neil Roger Lemos
• Obituary: L.E. “Bud” Taylor
  Retired Siskiyou County Sheriff L.E. “Bud” Taylor peacefully passed away on March 19, 2025. He was 93 years old. Bud was born in Placer County to Ernest E. and Adeline Taylor. He attended Auburn High School and after graduation he joined and served in the U.S. Navy. After being honorably discharged he moved to Mount… Read more: Obituary: L.E. “Bud” Taylor
• The Unregulated Skies: A Lack of Oversight Above Us
  In the quiet expanse of Siskiyou County, the sky often feels like a battlefield. Jet lines crisscross the heavens, lingering longer than memory suggests they should, sparking whispers of chemtrails and global dimming. To some, these are contrails—simple vapor trails from high-flying aircraft. To others, they hint at something more: a deliberate act, perhaps stratospheric… Read more: The Unregulated Skies: A Lack of Oversight Above Us