Hazard Mitigation and Community Education Grant

How it works

Hazard Mitigation and Community Education Grants are offered by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Division of Forestry to communities, groups, and organizations to make homes and neighborhoods safer from wildfire. The page says examples of recipients include cities, towns, and communities at risk or with potential for loss from wildland fires.

The Division has partnered with the Appalachian Resource, Conservation and Development Council (ARCD) to administer and manage the grant program. The Division reviews and approves applications, then directs ARCD on approved community grant expenditures. Communities that receive funding must sign an agreement with ARCD. ARCD provides written guidelines for making expenditures and submitting reimbursement requests.

What the money covers

The program funds community outreach, education, emergency planning, and hazard mitigation activities. The page gives examples such as fuel reduction through thinning and prescribed burning. It also says the work must come from the required Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) and the current Action Plan for approved CWPP-based grants.

For hazard mitigation funds, eligible uses listed on the page include:

• mailings, fire-adapted educational materials, and photocopying for assessments
• contractor costs to conduct assessments, write plans, and create GIS mapping
• vegetation management work such as bush hogging
• mechanical removal or reduction of hazard fuel
• development or improvement of an existing firebreak
• equipment for fuel reduction, including chain saws, blowers, mowers, and bush hogs, plus related safety gear such as chaps, goggles, hearing protection, and face protection
• widening cul-de-sacs and turnarounds for wildfire equipment access
• fire-resistant signs, posts, and installation to identify roads, residences, and emergency exits
• gate construction on emergency access roads
• dry hydrants
• leasing or contracting equipment and other resources needed to complete an eligible project
• portable radios and cell phones
• approved building materials or installation labor for mitigation projects such as fire-resistant street signs
• other items approved by the Tennessee Division of Forestry

The page also lists ineligible uses for hazard mitigation funds, including legal fees, salary or equipment costs of regular community employees, equipment exceeding $5,000, capital improvement projects, and anything outside the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy as interpreted by TDF.

Amounts and matching

The page states these grant amounts:

• Start-up Grants: $1,000 to help a community begin developing its CWPP; not for on-the-ground mitigation work
• Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grants: up to $20,000 for the initial grant to a community; subsequent annual grants up to $10,000
• Community Education Grants: up to $500 annually

The page does not state a matching requirement.

How to apply

The application link is accessible on the page during the application window. The page says the Division will post the grant announcement on the TDF website, receive applications, rate and approve them through the Steering Committee, then forward approved applications to ARCD for contracts.

Timing and deadlines

The page states the 2027 grant application period runs from October 15, 2026 through November 15, 2026.

The timeline shown on the page is:

• October 15, 2026: grant announcement posted on the TDF website
• October 15-November 15, 2026: applications received
• November 16-30, 2026: applications rated and approved by Steering Committee
• November 30, 2026: applications forwarded to ARCD
• December 15, 2026: ARCD sends grant contracts to communities for signature
• December 15, 2026: grant beginning date
• May 15, 2027: grant ending date
• June 5, 2027: all grant invoices due to ARCD
• June 15, 2027: grant reimbursements complete