Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Wildfire Preparedness topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
OSU Extension outlines wildfire preparedness workshops, outreach and local partnerships
Summary
OSU Extension regional fire specialist Bridal Cowan briefed Crook County commissioners on outreach, home‑protection workshops, partnerships with youth crews and resources for residents to reduce fire risk; commissioners suggested targeted outreach and help for older residents and homeowners who need manpower.
Bridal Cowan, OSU Extension’s regional fire specialist, presented the extension’s wildfire program and urged more outreach and workshops aimed at home and neighborhood mitigation.
Cowan said Extension’s fire work focuses on research-based outreach, home-protection workshops and partnership programs such as the Youth Conservation Corps and the Central Oregon Wildfire Workforce Partnership to support fuels reduction on private properties. ‘‘Our goals here are trying to work with communities, trying to help them to be more fire adapted and also considering these landscapes to be more fire adapted as well,’’ Cowan said.
Commissioners asked whether the Extension coordinates with federal agencies and how to draw better attendance to workshops. Cowan said Extension partners with the Oregon Department of Forestry, the Office of the State Fire Marshal and local fire districts, and suggested outreach channels such as local roundup publications, community bulletin boards and by tying workshops to already-popular spring events. Cowan also recommended offering continuing education credits to landscapers and builders to attract professionals who perform mitigation work.
County members suggested focusing immediate outreach in Juniper Canyon and on subdivisions with road-safety concerns and recommended including phone contact information or local manpower options in advertisements to encourage older or less mobile residents to participate. Cowan said Extension will pursue additional workshops and promotion options in the new year.
