Sec 37-642. Community protection grants; eligibility

A. The community protection initiative program is established to provide a source of cost-share funding to assist local governments and private landowners in reducing the volume of hazardous fuels on nonfederal forested land in this state.

B. The state forester shall maintain a list of communities at risk of wildfire. Subject to the availability of monies in the community protection initiative fund, the forester may issue grants from the community protection initiative fund to at-risk communities to complete community wildfire protection plans.

C. The state forester shall prioritize grants according to a community's available resources. In addition, the grants are subject to the following requirements:

1. A grant shall be issued only to a county, city, town, fire district or qualified nonprofit corporation that has expertise in hazardous fuels reduction.

2. The state forester shall require that any grantee must enter into a legally binding financial participation agreement to provide at least twenty-five per cent of the total cost of the fuel treatment. Any monies from nonfederal and nonstate sources and in-kind contributions may be considered to qualify for the financial participation requirement of this paragraph.

3. Project managers must agree to provide:

(a) Treatment information for purposes of the Arizona fire map project.

(b) Financial and progress updates to the state forester each calendar quarter.

4. Any funded project must meet standards for hazardous fuel reduction established by the state forester.

5. The geographic area of the proposed project must be identified in a community wildfire protection plan.

6. The project must be completed within thirty-six months after the date of the grant. At the end of thirty-six months, any unexpended and unencumbered grant monies lapse and revert to the community protection initiative fund. The state forester shall extend the term of the project and the grant in the case of forest closure or prohibitive weather conditions that are beyond the control of the grantee.