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Oregon Living with Fire updates Crook County on wildfire preparedness, grant work and prescribed-burn cooperative
Summary
The local wildfire resilience group presented its annual report, said federal reimbursements are paused but reserves will carry program operations, and encouraged counties to apply for Community Wildfire Defense grants tied to Community Wildfire Protection Plans.
Representatives of Oregon Living with Fire briefed the board on education, outreach and grant activities in Crook County and Central Oregon.
Jody Barham and Dr. Jennifer Fenton described work to support fire-adapted communities and resilient landscapes: hosting wildfire preparedness fairs, supporting the county’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) process, and convening local stakeholders. They said their service area covers Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson and northern Klamath counties and that the organization helps connect local projects to national wildfire strategy.
Barham said federal reimbursement for some grants has been paused but that the organization has reserves sufficient to operate for about a year. Fenton noted the Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDBG/CWBG) application period remained open until March 15 and that projects referenced in CWPPs and those in high social-vulnerability areas may receive prioritization; she said there are pathways to request waivers of cost-match in some cases.
The presenters also described coordination with Crook County Fire, the Ochoco Forest Restoration Collaborative, and a new Central Oregon Prescribed Burn Cooperative intended to train private landowners on pile burning and small acreage prescribed fire. Barham distributed printed annual reports and materials and offered to assist the county with grant identification and applications.
