Landowner assistance available for fuel reduction and defensible space projects

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 at 541-903-0404.

PRINEVILLE, Ore. — Oregon Department of Forestry’s Central Oregon District is accepting applications from landowners interested in completing 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, specifically Juniper Canyon residents in Crook County, DRRH 1-5 & 9 in the La Pine area of Deschutes County, and Crooked River Ranch in Jefferson and Deschutes counties. Funding for these projects comes from the $5 million grant program established by Senate Bill 762 legislation which focuses on creating fire-adapted communities through fuels reduction of hazardous fuels on small forestlands.

Landowners who are interested in applying for cost-share for fuel reduction on their property or who would like to having chipping work completed to dispose of vegetative materials please complete the contact form below to request more information or contact Ross Huffman 541-549-2731 for work in Crooked River Ranch or DRRH 1-5 & 9 or Kody Johannsen for work in Juniper Canyon.

Central Oregon grants

The central Oregon area has three grant programs to assist landowners in reducing fuels on their property. Fuels reduction involves a variety of activities which provide firefighters a better opportunity to extinguish a fire and reduces the potential for fire to spread throughout a community while increasing firefighter safety.

If you are interested in grant assistance for fuels reduction on your property located within the Prineville-Sisters Unit you can use the map to the right titled Grant Location Map to see if grant funding is available. If you see that your property is within one of the grant areas, you can click on the map and follow the link to an online grant application request. Once submitted, agency personnel will reach out to you to explain the grant process and available funding. If your property is located in The Dalles or John Day Units please contact your local ODF Stewardship Forester for more information.

ODF fuels reduction grants are designed to cover a portion of the cost of a project. Before starting projects, a landowner will meet with an ODF Stewardship Forester to discuss a potential project. This discussion often involves a site visit, discussion about project scope, and establishment of a maximum reimbursable amount. If a project receives grant funding, the landowner will receive a reimbursement once the work is completed.

Projects can be completed by a landowner or contractor and typically involve activities like: reducing ladder fuels, restoring tree density to natural levels, and managing understory to mitigate areas of contiguous fuels.

Post fuel reduction work

Fill out the appropiate grant information form for your location.