Committee Funds Investments to Respond to Wildfires

By on Friday, October 21st, 2022 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News

EASTERN OREGON – (Release from the Oregon Department of Forestry) The Emergency Fire Cost Committee (EFCC), which oversees the landowner-funded Oregon Forest Land Protection Fund, recently voted unanimously to allocate $1,412,000 to seven projects proposed by the Oregon Department of Forestry, Coos Forest Protective Association and Douglas Forest Protective Association to improve Oregon’s fire protection system.  

The strategic investments will help fund:

  • Three detection cameras and a microwave-communication link to optimize camera functionality for Coos Forest Protective Association.
  • Two guard stations in ODF’s Klamath-Lake District to assure rapid response to fires in remote areas.
  • One grappler dozer for more effective containment of wildfires in ODF’s Central Oregon District.
  • FireWeb dispatch software licensing to continue Douglas Forest Protective Association’s dispatch improvement efforts
  • Mobile communication and cache trailers to support incident response in eastern Oregon
  • A new modular building to provide the space needed for ODF Southwest Oregon District’s detection center.

“The EFCC appreciates the leadership efforts of the Oregon Department of Forestry and Forest Protective Associations to identify projects that will enhance Oregon’s wildfire protection system,” said Brennan Garrelts, chair of the EFCC. 

“Landowner-funded investments in critical projects like these bolster Oregon’s ability to detect fires early and respond to them quickly to put them out while they are small, saving Oregon communities from months of unhealthy air quality, evacuations and devastating loss of life and property,” Garrelts said. “Private landowners remain committed to Oregon’s unique public-private firefighting partnership that helps make it the most effective wildland firefighting system in the world.” 

The Wildfire Protection Act, passed during the 2013 Legislative Session, allows the EFCC to commit funds from landowner protection assessments to strategic projects aimed at enhancing wildfire suppression efforts. Since the passage of that legislation, the EFCC has committed $2,893,096 to a variety of improvements, including upgrading a state-owned aircraft with infrared detection technology.