The Maui News

Private nonprofits and government organizations seeking Federal Emergency Management Administration public assistance funding can learn more about how to apply at informational briefings this month on Maui and online.

The disaster declaration covering the August 2023 wildfires in Hawaii authorizes Public Assistance funding to reimburse and pay for protective measures and hazard mitigation, including fire mitigation and environmental and historic preservation projects, according to a news release from the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.

Topics of the briefings include: who is eligible, what types of expenditures/services/projects may qualify, and how to apply.

The events will be conducted once in person, at the Maui Economic Opportunity center in Wailuku, and once online via Microsoft Teams video conference. In order to allow as many people as possible to participate in the briefings, participants are asked to attend only one of the events, not both.

The in-person briefing will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesday at Maui Economic Opportunity’s Classrooms 1 and 2 at 99 Mahalani St. in Wailuku.

The online briefing will be held from 9 to 11 a.m., Sept. 26 using the software platform, Microsoft Teams. See ready.hawaii.gov to find a copy of the briefings news release under the “Newsroom” tab. The news release contains a link for the briefing.

The briefings may be especially helpful for private nonprofit organizations that have limited experience with the FEMA Public Assistance program, but provided services during the wildfire disaster response or want to participate in recovery/mitigation efforts, the news release said. Private nonprofits, including houses of worship and community groups, may be eligible for financial reimbursement for emergency protective measures, debris removal or restoration of certain facilities.