Gateway Area Development District
Jan 20, 2026
$200,000 grant received from U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service to support project
The Gateway Area Development District (GADD) has received a $200,000 grant award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service to advance wildfire prevention, mitigation, and preparedness efforts across its five-county region of Bath, Menifee, Montgomery, Morgan, and Rowan counties. The award was presented during Governor Andy Beshear’s October 23, 2025, Team Kentucky press conference.
This funding, provided through the Community Wildfire Defense Grant program, will support the creation of the first-ever regional Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) for the Gateway region. Covering 869,508 acres across five counties and 10 municipalities, the CWPP will provide a coordinated, data-driven strategy to assess wildfire risk, identify high-priority mitigation projects, and improve regional preparedness and response capacity.
The Gateway region encompasses over 567,000 acres of forested land and nearly 237,000 acres of cropland and grasslands, much of it adjacent to or within the Daniel Boone National Forest. Between 2021 and 2024, the region experienced 148 wildfire events that burned more than 2,500 acres, highlighting the urgent need for a unified mitigation and response strategy.
“The Community Wildfire Defense Grant represents a critical investment in the safety and resilience of the Gateway region,” said GADD Executive Director Joshua Farrow. “These funds will allow us to better identify areas at greatest risk, strengthen coordination with local fire departments and emergency management agencies, and implement long-term strategies to reduce wildfire hazards.”
The Gateway CWPP will serve as a regional framework for wildfire resilience. Its purpose and objectives include:
Developing county-level and regional wildfire risk assessments for Bath, Menifee, Montgomery, Morgan, and Rowan counties.
Identifying priority mitigation projects for implementation and funding readiness.
Strengthening interagency collaboration among local governments, the Kentucky Division of Forestry (KDF), and the U.S. Forest Service.
Providing public outreach and education to build community wildfire awareness.
Aligning with the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy and the Kentucky State Forest Action Plan.
GADD will be collaborating with fire departments, emergency management agencies, landowners, and conservation partners to develop a phased work plan that enhances local response capacity and supports on-the-ground mitigation. Initial efforts will focus on risk mapping and data collection, public education, and identifying near-term projects that can move quickly to reduce hazards and protect residents, infrastructure, and natural resources.