ODF release – Salem, OR—Ten project proposals in Oregon, including one by the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), have been selected to be funded by the Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG). The proposals focus on assisting communities in developing Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP), and funds immediate actions to reduce wildfire risk for communities that already have an active CWPP, key roadmaps for addressing wildfire risks locally. Funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CWDG program helps communities, tribes, non-profit organizations, state forestry agencies and Alaska Native corporations plan for and mitigate wildfire risks as the nation faces an ongoing wildfire crisis. Scoring priority was given to project proposals that are in an area identified as having a high or very-high wildfire hazard potential, benefit a low-income community or are located in a community impacted by a severe disaster within the previous 10 years that increased wildfire risk. Of those that applied, the states with the largest dollar amount for their communities were Oregon, California and Washington. Examples of proposals that have been selected for funding include: Oregon Department of Forestry, John Day; Grant County Defensible Space – $681,041 to focus on 300 acres of fuels reduction treatments for Grant County landowners in the wildland-urban interface (WUI), installation of Firewise Communities, and outreach and education in the high-risk communities of John Day, Mt. Vernon, Prairie City, Dayville, Granite, Monument, Canyon City, Long Creek and Seneca. Klamath Watershed Partnership, Chiloquin Wildfire Risk Reduction and Education – $616,404 to implement 165 acres of defensible space treatments over five years; to develop and implement a “Brush Dump” program; to design, purchase, and deploy a multi-use wildfire education trailer for community education and outreach events, and a mobile information distribution point during a wildfire as needed; and to build capacity and sustainability within Chiloquin Fire and Rescue through development of a part-time Mitigation Specialist position to coordinate the activities of this project and to plan future projects. Douglas Electric Cooperative Fuels Treatments, Vegetation Management, and Other Mitigation – $9,151,505 to reduce fuel buildup in high-risk wildfire areas, enhance the utility right-of-way’s ability to function as fire breaks, increase forest health, and minimize the probability that Douglas Electric’s transmission and distribution system may be the origin or contributing source for the ignition of a fire. Funding from this program will enable DEC to reduce its vegetation management program to a 3-to-4-year cycle while addressing hazard trees (snags and cycle busters) not in the traditional utility space. ODF has partnered with other organizations around the state whose applications have been selected for funding and will provide support for their proposals through various avenues. For more information on funded proposals, visit www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/fire/grants/funded-proposals. The Forest Service will announce the second round of funding later in 2023. The 2023 application period for additional grant awards is planned to open spring of 2023. Revised guidance for 2023 will be posted when received from the USDA Forest Service. The 2022 eligibility flowchart and 2022 CWDG Program fact sheet remain helpful tools to plan for the upcoming 2023 application process.
