JACKSON COUNTY, Ore.– The Oregon Department of Forestry recently gave out over $14 million in grants statewide and some of that will be going toward forest management in Southern Oregon.
The Applegate Partnership and Watershed Council (APWC) is getting $250,000 from ODF for fuels reduction work in the Applegate Valley.
The organization has also received grants from the USDA and the National Resource Conservation Service totaling around $2.5 million.
APWC’s habitat restoration program manager said this funding is vital, especially for a non-profit organization like theirs.
APWC’s Nathan Gehres said, “this money, the money for fuels reduction is to provide financial assistance to private landowners to pay 75 to 90% of the cost to do fuels reduction work and wildfire risk reduction on their property.”
Gehres said they are also working on updating the community wildfire protection plan for the Applegate.
It will help decide priorities and strategies for preventing wildfires, as well as planning for evacuations in the event of a natural disaster.
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