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Port and county outline master stewardship approach to wildfire fuels and seek infrastructure funding
Summary
Port and county officials updated commissioners on a master stewardship agreement (MSA) approach to cross-boundary wildfire fuels work, described staffing and grant activity, and said the county is seeking steady fiber supply and transportation grants to attract processing infrastructure.
Port and advisory-group representatives updated the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners on June 11 about efforts to stand up a countywide master stewardship agreement (MSA) to coordinate wildfire fuels reduction across federal, state and private lands.
Presenters said the county is at high risk for catastrophic wildfire and studied Tuolumne County, California’s multi-year stewardship model as a template for building infrastructure and grant capacity. The port has reorganized and hired staff (grants and contracts manager, management forester, wildfire mitigation specialist) to support implementation and to pursue grants and partnership funding. Presenters described awarded grant notices (funding letters received but not all funds yet in-hand) and an NRDP grant and transportation grant among active applications.
Speakers said the MSA approach can help provide a steady flow of small-diameter biomass that could justify private investment in processing facilities (pellet, biomass, shavings) but noted investors need supply certainty and that hauling small material is costly. Commissioners asked about EPA air-quality and permitting concerns if a processing plant is sited locally; presenters said modern technology can meet EPA standards but that investors need supply and permitting certainty.
The port confirmed it has set aside 78 acres for potential infrastructure and is working on proposals to be a regional landing/distribution point to lower transportation costs for small-fuels processing. Presenters emphasized the importance of coordinating agency funding and possibly using MSA-administered funding to front capital investments that make timber sales and fuels projects more attractive to contractors.
Commissioners acknowledged progress and said they may request periodic updates as grants and implementation plans develop.
Next steps: port staff will continue grant applications and coordinate with the Forest Service, DNRC and other partners; county staff indicated they will request future briefings as projects and funding mature.
