National Programs
As the umbrella organization for the national Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network, we take lessons learned in Northern California to help communities across the country live more safely with fire. We also empower people to become fire-ready through the Community Navigators Project.
Fire Adapted Communities
Learning Network
The Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network (FAC Net) is a social impact network that helps communities plan and strategize to live more safely with wildfire. The Watershed Center and The Nature Conservancy have partnered to steward this network of communities who share their approaches and innovations in fire adaptation across the US.
The FAC Net Members and their interdisciplinary, cross-agency connections are the heart of the network, facilitating trainings and sharing knowledge locally, regionally, and internationally. FAC Net has grown to include over 400 members since its founding in 2013. Members are working together to help communities take action before, during, and after wildfires.
FAC Net produces a weekly blog that features stories about fire adaptation from practitioners, researchers and leading thinkers in the sector. Subscribe here.
Nonprofit and Forest Service staff share their processes for community navigation at a 2024 learning summit.
Nonprofit organizations and Forest Service staff who are involved in the community navigator initiative gather at a 2024 learning summit.
Community Navigators Project
The Watershed Center and the Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network (a partnership effort stewarded by the Watershed Center), are among a group of nonprofits partnering with the US Forest Service on a Community Navigators initiative.
The goal of this effort is to connect communities to Forest Service funding and partnership opportunities (in particular funding flowing from the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law). For a snapshot of the programs and activities that received funding through these laws, see our overview of BIL & IRA-supported Funding Opportunities.
Key aspects of the Watershed Center’s community navigator work include:
Help communities identify BIL and IRA funding that meets their community priorities
Help communities develop competitive funding applications
Provide guidance on staying in compliance with federal financial and reporting requirements
Community capacity building for these, and future, funding opportunities
Another important aspect of our work involves elevating community perspectives and feedback about the barriers that communities face in accessing US Forest Service support and partnership.
The other organizations working on the Forest Service community navigator initiative include Coalitions and Collaboratives, Hispanic Access Foundation, Federation of Southern Cooperatives, First Nations Development Institute, and the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association.
To get updates on new funding opportunities, guidance on applying for and managing grant awards, and resources for navigating federal programs and partnerships, sign up for our monthly newsletter.
Check out and sign up for our latest training opportunities.
Check the “Funding FAC work” page on fireadapted.org, a website where the FAC Net team and other partners compile tools and resources related to fire adapted communities.
Have you worked with a community navigator and want to share feedback? We’d love to hear from you! Your response will be used to improve our future services.
Information gathered via our CNP request and feedback forms are used by our staff to better assist clients and make program improvements. Data collected is not used by the USDA Forest Service or any other government agency.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.