Curry County officials discuss joining $6M–$10M wildfire stewardship grant, urge adoption of local plan

Curry County officials and a representative of the Wild Rivers Coast Forest Collaborative discussed Feb. 21 how the county could participate in a USDA Community Wildfire Defense Grant to fund wildfire stewardship on nonfederal lands.

Tabitha, a representative of the Wild Rivers Coast Forest Collaborative, told Curry County leaders the grant opportunity is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and focuses on “private and state lands only, non federal public land.” She said the collaborative’s proposal currently budgets about $6,000,000 to address 12 recommendations in the community wildfire protection plan and that the application window has been extended to March 14.

The discussion centered on how the county could be included in the collaborative’s bid as a fiscal partner and a potential recipient of grant-funded positions and equipment. Patrick, a county official speaking at the workshop, said Wild Rivers Coast Forest Collaborative would be the fiscal sponsor for the application and that the county could request grant funding to support a county natural-resources coordinator.

Jeff Hughes, Curry County’s emergency management director, described county priorities that could align with the grant, including improving emergency communications and replacing the current radio system. He said the grant could help “improve the ability to train, employ, and equip our local fire departments,” and noted county interest in including feasibility studies or equipment needs in the application.

Tabitha said the collaborative’s budget includes rotating chippers and investigated biochar and air-curtain burners, but that mobile biochar options can be cost-prohibitive given water and staffing needs. “Our budget is sitting right around $6,000,000 as it stands now to address 12 key recommendations from the community wildfire protection plan,” she said, and that a feasibility study on air-curtain burners and biochar technologies is expected in about two weeks.

County participants also discussed creating a natural-resources advisory committee to strengthen the county’s standing with state and federal agencies. A county official who had recently met with Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) staff said forming such an advisory committee could give the county “a seat at the table” under Oregon law (ORS) and suggested appointing members as liaisons to collaboratives and agencies.

Tabitha said an additional prerequisite for applying to the Community Wildfire Defense Grant is formal county adoption of the community wildfire protection plan; she said she could not find evidence the county had formally adopted the plan and recommended addressing that before or as part of the grant submittal. The workshop participants discussed using the committee or the adoption as a matching or supportive action in the grant narrative.

Speakers also described timeline and coordination tasks: Tabitha said she was gathering letters of support and engaging rural volunteer fire departments; Patrick said he planned meetings with U.S. Forest Service leadership to develop partnerships; and emergency management asked for signed copies of any county support letters or the county wildfire plan. The group did not take a formal vote or make a binding decision at the workshop.

The USDA grant window was cited as extended to March 14; participants urged quick action on letters of support and on clarifying whether the county would formally adopt the wildfire protection plan prior to the application.