By Garrett Christensen 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:
“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.