37-642

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.