More than $600,000 for wildfire risk reduction to come to Oregon

Monday, September 4, 2023

By: Robert Desaulniers

KEZI

EUGENE, Ore. – The state of Oregon is set to get more than $600,000 to help reduce the risk of major wildfires in forests around the state.

Oregon’s U.S. Senators, Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, announced that the U.S. Forest Service is providing $661,720 to several projects in Oregon. The senators said the funds will support wildfire risk reduction, habitat restoration and prescribed burns. Senator Merkley said the projects are more essential now than ever.

“As wildfire seasons become increasingly longer and hotter – threatening communities across Oregon – investing in projects to help?increase fire resilience and tackle the effects of climate chaos are more essential than ever,” said Merkley.? “Restoring these landscapes will help prevent wildfires from exploding into megafires, protecting Oregonians, homes, and businesses.”

One project to get funding is the Bear Wallow Restoration project, which will improve ecosystem health and clear out wildfire fuels in the Gilchrist State Forest near the Deschutes National Forest. Another is the Fostering a Future for Fish and Forest Project, which will improve wetland and forest ecosystems in the North Fork Eagle Creek Watershed. The last project to get a piece of the more than $600,000 in funding is the Cooperative Burning in Southwest Oregon Project, which will foster collaboration on controlled burns between landowners, agencies and tribal nations.