John Day, Ore. — Oregon Department of Forestry’s Central Oregon District is providing rebate funds available for landowners to complete fuel reduction projects around their homes. The intent of the projects is to reduce the potential of wildfire spreading to structures and to improve ingress/egress routes in the wildland-urban interface. These programs are specifically for residents and small forestland owners in Grant County South of Highway 26 to USFS and BLM bordering lands between Laycock Creek and Pine Creek communities, and for Morrow/Wheeler County landowner properties residing in or near Penland Lake, Cutsforth Park, Bull Prairie, Blake’s Ranch, Kinzua, Spray, Fossil, Heppner, Fairview Campground, Winlock, Service Creek, and Hardman communities. Funding for the Southern Grant County Hazardous Fuels Reduction project comes from a small forestland grant program established by Senate Bill 762 legislation, which focuses on creating fire-adapted communities through fuels reduction of hazardous fuels on small forestlands. Funding for the Morrow – Wheeler Hazardous Fuels Reduction program is funded by a Community Assistance Grant program focusing on specifically identified Communities-At-Risk in the Wildland Urban Interface. Landowners who are interested in applying for cost-share/rebates for fuels reduction on their property or who would like to have more information for becoming a FireWise Community in Harney, Grant, Wheeler, Gilliam or Morrow and Counties, please complete the contact form below to request more information or contact Brandon Ferguson (541) 903-0404.
For more information about available grants or to sign up to be contacted regarding the available projects visit the Central Oregon District’s landowner grant information page: https://odfcentraloregongrantinformation.blogspot.com/ .