OSU Extension outlines wildfire outreach, fuels crews and homeowner workshops for Crook County

Bridal Cowan, regional fire specialist with Oregon State University Extension, presented the Extension wildfire program and outreach plans for Crook County at the Oct. 29 work session.

Cowan said the program, started around 2020, focuses on community resilience, reducing structure ignition and connecting federal, state and private treatments so fuels‑reduction work ‘‘connects the dots’’ across ownership boundaries. She described partnerships with Central Oregon Fire Prevention Co‑op, Oregon Department of Forestry, Oregon State Fire Marshal and the Central Oregon Wildfire Workforce Partnership, which includes Youth Conservation Corps crews that can assist private landowners.

The presentation highlighted the ‘‘home protection strategies’’ workshops that include field walks, defensible‑space guidance, fire‑resistant planting lists and a popular Firewise plant guide. Cowan said the Extension offers workshops that can include continuing education credits for landscapers and builders and trains master gardeners to expand outreach capacity.

Commissioners and attendees recommended targeted advertising — specifically the local Roundup paper, subdivision bulletin boards (PLA 1 and 2), and neighborhood groups in Juniper Canyon — and suggested scheduling a workshop early in the year when homeowners can take action. Cowan said many landowners are not aware of available funding and workforce resources and that better outreach could increase uptake of fuels‑reduction help.

Cowan said outcomes of the program are measured in homeowner uptake of defensible‑space actions, stronger partnerships with local fire agencies and more coordinated landscape treatments. She said Extension will continue workshops, promotional plant guides and efforts to connect residents with workforce crews to perform hazardous‑fuels work.