September 10, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joe Stutler, Deschutes County Forester, 541-322-7117
$ 3 Million Grant Awarded to Central Oregon
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded $3 million in Pre-Disaster
Mitigation funding to Deschutes, Crook and Klamath Counties to help reduce the risk of wildfire
on private lands.
Recognized often as one of the more fire-prone areas across the nation, central Oregon continues
to submit applications for this funding. Over the last three years, Deschutes, Crook and Klamath
Counties have received over $5 million in funding from this grant program. “This funding has
allowed us to reduce the fire hazard on over 4,000 acres of private land across central Oregon,”
says Joe Stutler, Deschutes County Forester.
Tied directly to the priorities in the Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs) and the
Natural Hazard Mitigation Plans, this grant is awarded through the State of Oregon Office of
Emergency Management and is aimed at preventing the rapid spread of fire through communities
in the wildland-urban interface.
Each year, FEMA awards dozens of Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grants across the nation for natural
disaster mitigation efforts such as hurricanes and flooding. “We are fortunate that FEMA
recognizes that our natural disaster is wildfire and through this grant program, we can effectively
reduce the chances of wildfire spreading through our neighborhoods and rural areas,” adds
Stutler.
The award is one of only two chosen this year to assist in reducing the risks of catastrophic fires
(the other is Lake Tahoe). In Deschutes County, the award will be utilized for actual hazardous
fuels reduction work on high risk private lands through the coordinated efforts of Project
Wildfire and the FireFree program.
For more information about Project Wildfire and FireFree, please visit www.projectwildfire.org
and www.firefree.org.
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