The Department of Agriculture has announced the resumption of some wildfire grants, according to Oregon Governor Tina Kotek. This development comes after Secretary Brooke Rollins informed Gov. Kotek at the National Governors Association meeting.
USDA Initiates Restart of Wildfire Grants
During the meeting, Gov. Kotek shared, “I heard yesterday from Secretary Rollins that they are restarting some grants. She’s like, ‘give us a week.’”
Recent weeks saw a pause in projects aimed at reducing wildfire risks nationwide due to the freezing of grants funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act. However, Rollins has already released funding for a few agriculture-related grants, with more announcements expected soon.
Support for Wildfire Mitigation
Wildfire mitigation, which involves making forests healthier to lower the risk of wildfires, enjoys bipartisan backing as a crucial approach. This strategy has gained prominence in light of the escalating wildfire threats. Even after President Trump’s call for better forest management following the Los Angeles fire, the federal government halted several wildfire funding programs, including the community wildfire defense grant initiative.
This grant program, aimed at distributing $1 billion over five years for projects like forest thinning and brush management, faced a freeze. Entities like Plumas Corp, a nonprofit in Northeast California, heavily reliant on federal funding for their mitigation activities in Plumas National Forest, found themselves in limbo.
Oregon’s Preparedness for Wildfire Mitigation
Speaking on Oregon’s situation, Gov. Kotek emphasized the state’s dependence on federal partnerships to maintain forest health. Local programs stand ready to spring into action once the funds are unfrozen, with many already staffed up and awaiting resources.
Jim Wilcox, Executive Director of Plumas Corp, expressed concerns over the potential impact of the funding freeze on their on-the-ground work as the field season approaches. The need for timely decisions on grant disbursement is crucial to sustaining the momentum of crucial wildfire mitigation efforts.
