Merkley, Wyden Announce $28.5 Million to Strengthen and Defend Oregon Communities from Wildfire Threats

Merkley, Wyden Announce $28.5 Million to Strengthen and Defend Oregon Communities from Wildfire Threats

Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today $28,512,515 is coming to Oregon for six projects across the state to help make communities more resilient to severe wildfires. The federal investments from the U.S. Forest Service and mandated by Congress under the Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program will support planning for and reducing wildfire risk, protecting homes, businesses, and infrastructure in Oregon and across the nation.

"You can't get ready after the fire starts, and Congress needs to ensure our communities can access every possible available resource to prepare for and mitigate wildfires," said Merkley, who serves as ranking member of the Senate Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, which provides funding to the U.S. Forest Service. "Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, these critical federal investments will help provide local partners with the tools they need to keep our homes, businesses, and communities safer, while protecting public, private, and Tribal lands in Oregon. As climate chaos fuels longer and fiercer fire seasons, I'll keep fighting to make sure Oregonians get the support they need to take on devastating wildfires in every corner of the state."

"Continued underinvestment in wildfire prevention and deliberate mismanagement of our forests is fueling hotter, bigger, and more dangerous fires each year," Wyden said. "This funding I was able to help secure under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help ensure our communities on the frontlines are supported in every way possible. I'll continue to do everything I can to ensure Oregonians have the resources they need to prepare for and prevent these blazes."

The funds come from the U.S. Forest Service's Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program, created and funded by Congress through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which supercharged federal investments to protect communities and Tribal lands nationwide that are vulnerable to wildfires.

The six Oregon projects selected for funding under this critical program are as follows:

1. $8,711,040 for the Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District's Wildfire Ready Linn County project. This project will develop a strategic, sustainable, and collaborative project pipeline for fuels management, accelerate the pace of defensible space work, increase access for at-risk communities, and empower residents and partners with knowledge, decision-making tools, and resources to understand and reduce wildfire risks.
2. $6,124,970 for Douglas County Public Works' Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project: Safeguarding Our Communities at Highest Risk of Wildfires. This project will enable Douglas County to complete targeted hazardous fuels reduction work along 21 road systems, totaling 117.5 road miles. This work will coincide with hazard tree felling and limb removal within County rights-of-way. Hazard tree removals, crown reductions, and large canopy limb removals work will be completed by qualified tree companies. County crews will complete roadside mowing, some tree trimming, brushing, and chipping.
3. $5,252,344 for the Wallowa Soil & Water Conservation District's Wallowa Valley Resiliency Project. This project will complete recommended mitigation action items in Wallowa County to provide fire prevention and notification education, improve both defensible space and suppression resource effectiveness through fuels treatments, and conduct ingress/egress treatments for emergency accessibility and defense. The project will treat over 111 miles of fuel breaks and road right of ways; conduct defensible space treatments on approximately 2,800 acres; install 10 dry hydrants/cisterns; and implement prescribed fire on 350 acres. Firewise events and school presentations will be held in conjunction with the treatment program.
4. $3,439,362 for Deschutes County's La Pine Wildfire Mitigation Project. This project is a collaborative effort to reduce fire fuels, educate and increase wildfire preparedness among residents, and mitigate wildfire risk in the communities within the La Pine Rural Fire District. Proposed projects include improving ingress/egress routes and reducing hazardous fuels from both private and County-owned public land within the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). Community engagement and education will also be a priority for the project partners through educational events, workshops, and community outreach.
5. $2,624,890 for the Oregon Department of Forestry's South Lane Wildfire Risk Reduction project. This project will promote wildfire resilience in three disadvantaged Lane County communities, which have been identified as having high risk to catastrophic wildfire. The project will implement fuels reduction focused on private lands located in high-density WUI areas and support a wildfire prevention and education campaign, providing community members with educational materials promoting defensible space, wildfire awareness, and Firewise USA.
6. $2,359,909 for the Oregon Department of Forestry's Cave Junction-Takilma-Illinois Valley Mira Fuels Mitigation Project. This project actively engages private landowners, provides technical assistance, and expands prescribed fire training opportunities, strengthening community resilience while reducing hazardous fuel loads. The project targets overgrown ladder fuels, selectively thinning to a clearance height of 10 to 14 feet. These efforts reduce crown fire potential, helping prevent rapid fire spread through tree canopies. Another key objective of the Mira project is prescribed fire implementation. In collaboration with partners, the project will conduct community-led under burns, hands-on training workshops, and Certified Burn Manager (CBM) courses. These efforts increase landowner participation in prescribed fire while reducing long-term dependence on mechanical fuel treatments. The project also enhances home and community protection through defensible space assessments and treatments, reducing fuels around structures and reinforcing fuel breaks along roadways and property boundaries.

"Wildfire seasons across the west are lasting longer and causing more devastation than ever before," said Governor Tina Kotek. "Federal resources are critical for protecting Oregonians and Oregon's natural resources. These funds will support fuels reduction, defensible space, and other invaluable landscape and community resiliency projects."

"We're thrilled that the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service has selected Douglas County as a recipient of a 2025 Community Wildfire Defense Grant. Out of just 58 projects chosen across 22 states, this award gives us a valuable opportunity to invest in wildfire mitigation efforts over the next five years. Funding will support the reduction of hazardous fuels along county road right-of-way and help safeguard our most vulnerable rural communities," said Scott Adams, Douglas County Public Works Director.

"Homeowners are working hard to increase the chances of their structure surviving wildfire. This Grant provides landowners with an opportunity to assist in supporting their local fire emergency response personnel by creating a safe defensible space. This in turn provides added protection for firefighters as well as increasing their likelihood for successful suppression," said Jenny Reinheardt, Wallowa County Firewise Coordinator. "This grant would not have been possible without a well-written Community Wildfire Protection Plan and the support of local fire managers, multiple local agencies, and community members collectively working together to identify ways to improve conditions on the ground before a wildfire occurs."

"The potential for catastrophic fire within the La Pine Rural Fire Protection District is huge. This federal investment in fuels reduction on private and County-owned property, in improved escape routes, and in educational outreach to help residents make their homes more resilient to fire is much needed and greatly appreciated," said Deschutes County Commissioner Phil Chang.

"Building wildfire resilient landscapes and communities is such a critical need throughout Oregon," said Kate Skinner, interim Oregon State Forester and director of the Oregon Department of Forestry. "We're eager to get our boots on the ground and put this funding to good use protecting Oregonians."

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