OTEC to focus on wildfire mitigation efforts
By Logan Bagett on Tuesday, March 15th, 2022 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories
GRANT COUNTY – As the seasons change and the temperature increases, fire season will be upon us in Eastern Oregon before many are ready for it. Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative are active in wildfire mitigation efforts, according to OTEC Government Affairs Manager Tucker Billman. He was on KJDY’s Coffee Time recently and said thanks to the passage of last year’s Oregon Senate Bill 762, there will be more clarity as to what those efforts might look like:
“I saw today where the Upper-John Day Resiliency Project actually got $1.6 million dollars to support some wildfire resiliency projects.
It also outlines some of the requirements that electric utilities have to live by to help mitigate their risk of causing a wildfire, and so, of we’re course doing our part to understand what our role is in that and we’ll continue to work with the local communities as we develop that.”
OTEC also works closely with local rural fire departments, and even donated $1,500 recently to help the city of Dayville get a new fire hall built. Find that story here: https://elkhornmediagroup.com/otec-member-foundation-donates-1500-to-the-dayville-fire-department%ef%bf%bc/
