The funds come through the Rural Fire Assistance Program, which provides more than $1.2 million annually to enhance the capabilities of fire departments that help protect land managed by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
"This program is designed to increase firefighter safety and firefighting capabilities of those small-town fire departments that help provide fire protection to our refuges and wetland management district wetland management district
A wetland management district is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office that manages waterfowl production areas in one or more counties. Waterfowl production areas are small natural wetlands and grasslands that provide breeding, resting and nesting habitat for waterfowl, shorebirds, grassland birds and other wildlife. The Fish and Wildlife Service acquires waterfowl production areas under the authority of the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act, primarily using funds from the sale of Federal Duck Stamps. The Refuge System’s 38 wetland management districts comprise thousands of waterfowl production areas – almost all in the Prairie Pothole Region of the Northern Great Plains.
Learn more about wetland management district ," said Bill Hartwig, Midwest regional director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "Recent history has shown us the importance of safely controlling fires on federal lands. These volunteer fire departments and rural fire departments provide a valuable service. The funds provided by this program will help those small departments get the additional training and equipment they might need not only to help us, but their own communities as well."
The Rural Fire Assistance Program is a cost-share program. Fire departments contribute 10 percent, the federal contribution is 90 percent. To receive funds provided by the program, fire departments must have a fire agreement with a local refuge or wetland management district, or be part of a statewide agreement with the State Forester who maintains cooperative agreements with rural and volunteer fire departments. Fire departments must also serve a community with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants. Fire departments can use the funds to purchase equipment and supplies or conduct fire training.
Rural fire departments that received RFAP funds from the Department of the Interior are listed below.
Illinois (9) Amount
Makanda Township Fire. Dept. $3,970
Alexandria Rural Fire Dept. $2,100
Clarksville Volunteer Fire Dept. $4,000
Pleasant Hill Rural Fire Dept. $4,000
Williamson County Rural Fire Dept. $4,800
Lewiston Rural Fire Dept. $5,000
Havana Rural Fire Dept. $7,311
Dongola Auxiliary Fire Dept. $4,000
Ridge Lake Rural Fire Dept. $4,085
Indiana (6) Amount
Colombia Rural Fire Dept. $3,358
Francisco Volunteer Fire Dept. $2,500
South Patoka River Fire Dept. $4,400
Jefferson TWP Rural Fire Dept. $5,500
Lockhart TWP Rural Fire Dept. $5,305
N. Patoka TWP Rural Fire Dept. $1,922
Iowa (1) Amount
Titonka Fire Dept. $1,500
Michigan (1) Amount
Spaulding Volunteer Fire Dept. $5,575
Minnesota (13) Amount
Twin Valley Rural Fire Dept. $350
Mahnoman $12,342
Audoban Volunteer Fire Dept. $4,730
Glenwood Fire Dept. $6,609
Morris Fire Dept. $10,000
Fergus Falls Fire Dept. $10,964
Windom Volunteer Fire Dept. $10,594
Starbuck Fire Dept. $8,500
Clinton Fire Dept. $5,000
Pickwick Volunteer Fire Dept. $2,900
Erskine Fire Dept. $5,430
Odessa Fire Dept. $4,500
Palisade Fire Dept. $5,300
Missouri (7) Amount
Puxico Fire Dept. $540
Butler County Rural Fire Dept. $3,800
Wappapello Volunteer Fire Dept. $5,500
Lowndes Volunteer Fire Dept. $4,801
Cooper County Rural Fire Dept. $4,556
Howard City Rural Fire Dept. $2,856
Holy County Rural Fire Dept. $1,000
Ohio (1) Amount
Allen-Clay Rural Fire Dept. $3,500
Wisconsin (13) Amount
Shelby Fire Dept. $450
Stoddard-Bergen Vol. Fire Dept. $4,700
Dakota Fire and Rescue $4,475
Lincoln Fire Dept. $1,145
Rollingstone Volunteer Fire Dept. $3,772
Cutler Volunteer Fire Dept. $4,780
Tri-Community Fire Dept. $2,500
Kenoskee Fire Dept. $4,530
Brownsville Fire Dept. $1,000
Necedah Volunteer Fire Dept. $9,734
Oakfield Volunteer Fire Dept. $9,476
Knowles Volunteer Fire Dept. $6,500
Wapun Community Fire Dept. $4,400
The rural fire departments submitted grant applications through local offices of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish and wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95 million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses nearly 540 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 70 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
For further information about programs and activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region, visit our website at " facehttp://midwest.fws.gov
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service | | | | | | |
