Douglas County Wildfire Mitigation Cost-Share Program

How it works

Douglas County’s Wildfire Mitigation Cost-Share Program helps residents and communities protect private land against wildfire. Projects are chosen through a competitive application process. Successful applicants are contacted in the fall with next steps. The county says the program is intended to overcome financial barriers, increase the pace and scale of mitigation, and build community capacity across Douglas County.

What the money covers

The official program page says eligible projects focus on creating defensible space, reducing vegetation density, and disrupting the continuity of fuels around communities and individual properties in the wildland-urban interface (WUI). Examples listed include:

• Creating defensible space on individual properties
• Linking defensible spaces on neighboring properties
• Community fuel breaks
• Fuels reduction on community-owned properties immediately adjacent to homes
• Hazardous fuels reduction in the home ignition zone (HIZ) outside organized communities

Amounts and matching

The program caps awards at:

• $25,000 for individual projects
• $50,000 for community projects

A county news post for the 2026 round says homeowners can receive a 50% financial match up to $25,000, and community projects may receive up to $50,000, with an additional $7,500 available for community chipping or slash pickup.

How to apply

Applicants must submit:

• A detailed scope of work
• At least two contractor bids from the approved contractor list
• A site map showing where the work will occur

The page also says incomplete applications will not be accepted or reviewed.

Timing and deadlines

The official program page says the spring application period is closed and that a second application period will open in July 2026. A county news post says the 2026 application period was open for a summer window and that awards are made after review, with work certified by county wildfire mitigation staff before funds are distributed.