Key facts
- Wildfire grants totaling $15 million for Spokane County, Washington, were delayed due to a dispute over federal DEI policies.
- The grants include $9.3 million for the Spokane Conservation District and $5.5 million for the Spokane Valley Fire Department.
- The funding comes from the Community Wildfire Defense program, established by President Biden's infrastructure law.
- The USDA attempted to attach new conditions to the grants, requiring compliance with Trump administration priorities like deportation efforts and DEI program elimination.
- Washington state and 19 other Democratic-led states sued to block these conditions, leading a federal judge to issue an injunction.
- Grant agreements were signed in July, but the release of funds is uncertain.
Wildfire mitigation grants totaling $15 million for Spokane County, Washington, were delayed due to a dispute over federal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) attempted to attach new conditions to the grants, requiring recipients to comply with Trump administration priorities, including its deportation efforts and the elimination of DEI programs.
This policy conflicted with Washington state laws, which restrict state involvement in immigration enforcement. In response, Washington and 19 other Democratic-led states filed a lawsuit. A federal judge subsequently blocked the USDA's policy in June, allowing agencies to proceed with signing grant agreements.
The Spokane Conservation District was slated to receive $9.3 million for wildfire risk mitigation, while the Spokane Valley Fire Department was to receive $5.5 million. These grants are part of the $1 billion Community Wildfire Defense program, created in 2022 through President Biden's infrastructure law, which awards $200 million annually. Despite grant agreements being signed in July, it remains unclear when the funds will be released.
Environmental advocates criticized the USDA's attempt to link wildfire funding to unrelated federal priorities, calling the approach dangerous. The Spokane Valley Fire Department noted that such work is crucial for taming wildfires as they move from wildland areas into urban and residential zones.