Napa County 'Deeply Concerned' As FEMA Cancels $35M Wildfire Resilience Grant

NAPA COUNTY, CA—Napa County leaders were headed to Washington, D.C., following the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s decision to terminate funding under the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program—a move Napa County says puts it at risk of losing a $35 million federal grant for wildfire protection.

In an announcement Friday, FEMA called the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities —BRIC—program wasteful and said it was canceling all BRIC applications from 2020-2023. Grant funds that have not been distributed will be immediately returned either to the Disaster Relief Fund or the U.S. Treasury, FEMA said.

"The BRIC program was yet another example of a wasteful and ineffective FEMA program," a FEMA spokesperson said. "It was more concerned with political agendas than helping Americans affected by natural disasters. Under Secretary Noem’s leadership, we are committed to ensuring that Americans in crisis can get the help and resources they need."

FEMA said ending the program ensures that grant funding aligns with President Donald Trump's executive orders and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's direction. In the next fiscal year, $882 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will be returned to the U.S. Treasury or reapportioned by Congress. The 2021 law made $1 billion available for BRIC over five years. To date, $133 million has been provided for about 450 applications. FEMA estimated that over $3.6 billion will remain in the Disaster Relief Fund to assist with disaster response and recovery for communities and survivors.

Napa County, however, expressed "deep concern and disappointment over FEMA's decision," and said it jeopardized the implementation of the Napa County Community Wildfire Protection Plan. The county committed an additional 30 percent match, bringing the total investment to $50 million. The comprehensive, multi-year effort includes hazardous fuels reduction, ignition-resistant construction, and defensible space treatments to protect vulnerable communities, critical infrastructure and natural resources, county officials said.

With 26 major wildfires since 2015 and 60 percent of its land area burned since 2017, Napa County is one of the most fire-prone regions in the country. More than one-third of the county's residents live in designated wildfire hazard zones.

Napa County has awarded several contracts and begun initial work under the BRIC program, including environmental planning, public education and on-the-ground fire mitigation. According to the county, these efforts were developed in partnership with Napa Firewise, Cal Fire/Napa County Fire, and local stakeholders through a transparent, competitive process.

"FEMA’s decision halts a program that was not only forward-thinking but also fiscally responsible,” Napa County CEO Ryan Alsop said. "This federal investment was leveraging millions of local and private dollars to proactively reduce wildfire risk—something that’s far more cost effective than disaster recovery. Our communities have already stepped up, and the loss of this support puts that momentum at risk."

In the hopes of keeping the federal partnership alive, Napa County Supervisor Anne Cottrell was expected to depart for Washington, D.C. early this week alongside leadership from Napa Valley Vintners and Napa Firewise.

"This isn’t just about one program—it’s about smart, cost-efficient investments that protect lives, homes, and our local economy," Cottrell said Saturday. "I’m heading to D.C. this week to make sure our federal partners understand that cutting BRIC undermines high-impact work already underway. These projects reduce the long-term cost of disaster response and abandoning them midstream doesn’t make fiscal or public safety sense."

Napa County officials said they would explore all available pathways to preserve the projects and protect the community from future wildfire threats.

"This program was already delivering on its promise," Alsop said. "It’s short-sighted to pull the plug when so much is already in motion, especially when the federal dollars were being multiplied through local and private investment. Every dollar spent on wildfire prevention saves many more in emergency response, recovery, and rebuilding—we can’t afford to keep learning that the hard way."