FAQ for the Slip-On Tanker Data Dashboard
The Slip-On Tanker Grant Dashboard is designed to help communities complete grant applications. The Frequently Asked Questions below can help answer questions about the Dashboard. Learn more and apply for the Slip-On Tanker grant program at Grants.gov.
Where do the data in the Dashboard come from?
The data in the Dashboard are from publicly available, federal sources, including Wildfire Risk to Communities and the U.S. Census Bureau.
Geographic boundaries for communities and counties are from the U.S. Census Bureau’s TIGER/Line files. Communities are areas of concentrated population and include incorporated and unincorporated communities.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau. (2022). TIGER Cartographic Boundaries. Washington, DC.
Wildfire risk data are from Wildfire Risk to Communities.
Source: Wildfire Risk to Communities, Version 2. (2024). Scott JH, Dillon GK, Jaffe MR, Vogler KC, Olszewski JH, Callahan MN, Karau EC, Lazarz MT, Short KC, Riley KL, Finney MA, Grenfell IC. Wildfire Risk to Communities: Spatial datasets of landscape-wide wildfire risk components for the United States. 2nd Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2020-0016-2
Population data are from the 2020 U.S. Census for most locations. For a small number of locations that were not included in the 2020 Census, data from the most recent American Community Survey are shown.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau. (2020). 2020 Census. Washington, DC; U.S. Census Bureau. (2022). American Community Survey. Washington, DC.
How do I use the Dashboard?
Start typing in the window to search for your community or county. Select it from the drop-down menu to see whether your jurisdiction is suitable to apply for the Slip-On Tanker Grant program. If your community is listed as suitable, you can copy the wildfire risk rank and population data into your application.
What if my community is not listed in the tool?
If you cannot find your community in the Dashboard, it may be because it isn’t a designated “place” by the U.S. Census. The Dashboard does not include data for county subdivisions, townships, or fire districts. If your jurisdiction is not in the Dashboard, you can search the closest relevant community or county (or counties) and use data for that location instead.
What if my jurisdiction crosses multiple communities?
If your jurisdiction (e.g., Fire District) crosses multiple locations (for example, a two-county area), search both locations in the Dashboard. Population data should be aggregated. Wildfire risk data should be reported for the highest-scoring location.
Can I download a spreadsheet with the data?
Yes. A spreadsheet showing wildfire risk and population data for all U.S. communities and counties is available for download here.
Release Notes
December 2024
The Dashboard was updated in December 2024 to coincide with the second Notice of Funding Opportunity for Slip-On Tanker grant funding (applications due February 26, 2025). It was updated with the latest available data from Wildfire Risk to Communities Version 2 (published in 2024). The population threshold was changed from 25,000 to 50,000.
January 2024
The Dashboard was initially published in January 2024 to coincide with the first Notice of Funding Opportunity for Slip-On Tanker grant funding (applications due March 21, 2024). It included wildfire risk data from version 1 of Wildfire Risk to Communities (published in 2020) and population data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 Census.