Grants Workgroup

Fuels Reduction and Defesible Space Grant

The Oregon Department of Forestry’s North Cascade District has been awarded grant funds through a federal program known as Western States Fire Managers. These funds were applied for in 2024 and awarded in 2025. The target goal is to reduce wildland fuels and improve defensible space on 125 acres of private property in the Hwy 26 corridor. The grant provides funds for contractual work in the form of reimbursement. The ODF Community Wildland Forester would meet with a landowner on a property that qualified for grant assistance. Together, a prescription would be completed for the property. This prescription would identify goals to improve defensible space and reduce the overall risk of the property and home in the event of wildfire. There are two ways that the funds can be paid out.

1. The Landowner contracts the work to be done. The landowner is provided with a list of contractors by the Community Wildland Forester, or the landowner pursues a contractor on their own. The contractor is hired directly by the landowner. The landowner pays the contractor and provides receipts to the Community Wildland Forester, who will reimburse the landowner for the funds used to complete the job, up to a pre-determined $/acre amount.

2. The Community Wildland Forester will meet with multiple landowners, set up a contract with a vendor, and coordinate work on properties identified for fuels reduction. The contractor will be reimbursed directly by ODF.

All properties involved, as well as overall acreage completed, will be monitored by ODF. In both options, the goals are met ideally in the most inexpensive way available. Once the fuel reduction work is completed, the Community Wildland Forester will complete a site verification visit to ensure the fuels reduction goals have been met and match the original prescription. All properties involved, as well as overall acreage completed, will be monitored by ODF. This grant also contains prevention goals that support the local communities within the Hwy 26 Corridor. These include prevention events, workshops, and the promotion of Firewise communities. This grant could not have been obtained without the Mt. Hood Corridor Wildfire Partnership. The goal of this project is to aid all communities and partners of the Mt. Hood Corridor in their efforts to reduce the risk of wildfire.

Please contact Ben Sproul to set up an appointment.

Community Wildland Forester
14995 S Hwy 211
Molalla OR 97038
971-275-4397
Ben.n.sproul@odf.oregon.gov