Union County Receiving $76,800 for Community Wildfire Preparedness and Equipment
By Garrett Christensen on Tuesday, May 9th, 2023 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
UNION COUNTY – Union County has Received $76,800 dollars in funding from the Oregon State Fire Marshal as part of the Community Wildfire Risk Reduction Grants program.
According to Union County Emergency Manager Nick Vora, the funds will go toward two major projects. Thirty-five thousand will go toward purchasing a drum style masticator for a Union County Public Works excavator. In the event of a wildfire, the masticator will assist crews in creating defensible spaces, particularly around the edges of roadways. In this way, safer corridors can be easily created during evacuations and the overall intensity of a fire reduced.
The remaining balance will be used to update Union County’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP), which hasn’t been modified in several years. Funds will help in identifying community wildfire risks, outline wildfire mitigation actions and identify areas of improvement within the CWPP.
In total, 18-million-dollars are being distributed to 106 EMS and municipal organizations across the state. According to the Oregon State Fire Marshal, “projects receiving funding include community-wide wildfire defensible space programs, vegetation removal around buildings, community chipping programs, community education related to wildfire preparedness, equipment for vegetation removal, and staff to support these local efforts.”
For more information on the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s grant programs, visit: Oregon State Police : OSFM Grant Programs : Office of the State Fire Marshal : State of Oregon
