29-06-2025
Cal Fire awards $5.9M in forest health research grants to tackle wildfires
(FOX 5/KUSI) — In a push to strengthen California's forest resilience and wildfire preparedness, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) has awarded $5.9 million in grants to support 15 cutting-edge scientific research projects aimed at improving forest practices, land management, and public education.
Announced on Friday, the funding comes from the Forest Health Research Program, a key component of the state's California Climate Investments initiative, supported by Greenhouse Gas Reduction Funds and the Wildfire and Forest Resilience budget package.
'These grant awards from the Forest Health Research Program are filling critical gaps in our knowledge of fire, forest, and other vegetation management,' said Chris Keithley, Cal Fire's assistant deputy director of Fire and Resource Assessment. 'The researchers we support fill knowledge gaps, evaluate effectiveness of management practices, develop new tools, and create vital information as we continue to work towards a more resilient California.'
NASA research planes to conduct low-altitude flights over Southern California
According to Cal Fire, the funded studies will explore understudied vegetation types such as chaparral, mountain meadows and oak woodlands, all of which play vital roles in California's ecological landscape.
Other projects will advance tools for prescribed fire planning, forest monitoring and the cost-benefit evaluation of fuel treatment strategies, offering science-backed guidance to forest landowners, public agencies, fire response teams, and policymakers across the state.
Among the recipients are academic and research institutions including the University of California, California State University, Colorado State University, Desert Research Institute, the USDA Forest Service, and Resources for the Future. Notably, six of the projects will be led by graduate students, fostering a new generation of experts in fire science and forest ecology.
The grant-funded projects are expected to yield scientific publications, educational events, and decision-making tools that will support communities and agencies in mitigating wildfire risks and managing forest health more effectively, said Cal Fire officials.
The Forest Health Research Program was created to address pressing questions related to climate change impacts, wildfire behavior, carbon storage, and land-use practices. Its goal, according to Cal Fire, is to provide the scientific foundation needed to develop long-term, sustainable forest management strategies across California.
A full list of awarded projects and an interactive map of past and current research is available on the Forest Health Research website at:
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