Community Wildfire Risk Reduction for the Built Environment Grant

The Community Wildfire Risk Reduction for the Built Environment grant, offered by the Oregon State Fire Marshal, aims to enhance wildfire defensible space across Oregon. This initiative is designed to fund wildfire mitigation projects undertaken by structural fire protection agencies, counties, and cities. The overarching goal is to increase the safety and resilience of communities against wildfire threats within the built environment. The grant prioritizes projects that focus on two main categories: Defensible Space Projects and Community Protection Projects. Defensible Space Projects target wildfire mitigation and protection within 100 feet of buildings, allocating approximately 70% of available funds. Examples include incentive programs for private landowners, direct contracts for fire-resistant landscaping around various buildings, and community cleanup or chipper programs. Community Protection Projects extend beyond the immediate vicinity of critical infrastructure to create community-wide fire breaks and other mitigation efforts, such as fuel mitigation on municipal or county properties and the creation of greenways. The target beneficiaries of this grant are structural fire protection agencies, counties, and cities within Oregon, which will then implement projects benefiting private landowners, residents, and the broader community by increasing their protection from wildfires. The grant seeks to achieve measurable outcomes, including a reduction in wildfire risk, an increase in defensible space around buildings, and the establishment of community-wide fire breaks. Projects are expected to directly contribute to enhanced wildfire safety and community resilience. Eligible costs include plant and tree fuel reduction, equipment like chippers, and contractors or non-profit organizations for wildfire fuel reduction and defensible space work. Education, communication, and outreach directly supporting the projects are also allowable, along with a limited allocation for project coordination and indirect costs. The Oregon State Fire Marshal's grant program will prioritize applications based on fire-risk, social vulnerability index, and the clarity of the proposed project, ensuring that funding is directed to areas where it can have the most significant impact.