Jefferson County residents offered $500 grants for defensible space fuels reduction
MADRAS, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council, in a collaborative effort with the Jefferson County Fire Chiefs, is offering private landowners the opportunity to apply for funding in an effort to minimize fire danger as outlined in the Jefferson County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP).
Residents who are eligible will be offered a flat-rate reimbursement of $500 for treating the land around their home to Firewise standards.
The goal of Firewise is to minimize fire danger in subdivisions and neighborhoods and make firefighting safer and more effective. Information on Firewise and how to prepared your home for wildfire can be found on the National Fire Protection Association website here: https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-risks/Wildfire/Preparing-homes-for-wildfire.
Fire chiefs will be responsible for assuring that the standards have been met prior to dispensing funds. The Fire Officials are trained evaluators of the Firewise standards and will assess and certify properties as requested. The overall goal of this project is to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire to homes in high risk areas by reducing hazardous fuels on private lands.
Applications are being accepted now. All grants must be completed and approved by your local fire officials by December 1, 2022.
Applications Eligibility and Requirements
- The land owner must a) own a dwelling on their property (this does not include sheds, pole barns and other non-habitable buildings); b) own property in a “high density or extreme high-density Wildland Urban Interface,” otherwise referred to as WUI in the 2016 Community Wildfire Protection Plan; and c) complete the project (work complete and Fire Official inspection and sign off complete by) 12/01/2022. The eligible communities are listed on the following page with a link to the maps.
- The application must be approved by your district’s Fire Official prior to the area being treated and the homeowner being compensated.
- The homeowner must schedule a pre-application meeting with their local fire district prior to submitting an application.
- Homeowner must submit an application with a minimum of three (3) pictures of the area they would like to treat prior to the application being approved (grant cannot be used retroactively to application).
Eligible at-risk communities include the following:
- Camp Sherman
- Crooked River Ranch
- Dizney
- Grandview Air Park, Rim Park and Forest Park)
- High Chaparral
- Juniper Butte
- Juniper Crest
- Madras Ranchos/Canyon View
- Round Butte
- Shamrock Estates
- Street Creek/Upper Metolius/Montgomery Shores
- Three Rivers
Here is a link to the Community Wildfire Protection Plan and associated maps for more information: https://www.coic.org/emergency-preparedness/jefferson-co-cwpp/
