Merkley, Wyden, Hoyle, Bynum, Salinas Announce Over $7.5 Million to Strengthen and Defend Oregon Communities Facing Wildfire Threats

Merkley, Wyden, Hoyle, Bynum, Salinas Announce Over $7.5 Million to Strengthen and Defend Oregon Communities Facing Wildfire Threats

Washington, D.C. - Today, Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with U.S. Representatives Val Hoyle (OR-04), Janelle Bynum (OR-05), and Andrea Salinas (OR-06), announced $7,538,176 is coming to four projects in Oregon to help make communities more resilient to severe wildfires. These investments from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will support disaster relief efforts and mitigate wildfire risk, protecting homes, businesses, and infrastructure in Oregon.

For years, the Oregon congressional delegation has worked to secure federal resources for Oregonians affected by wildfires. In the wake of the catastrophic wildfires that broke out over Labor Day weekend in 2020, Merkley and Wyden led the charge to push for the rapid approval of the request for federal disaster relief, which was granted, and also successfully urged the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Interior to expedite the initiation and completion of the Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) program for wildfires in Oregon.

"Communities that were devastated by the 2020 Labor Day wildfires must have the resources they need to increase their resilience to future fires. The federal government must do all it can to assist Oregon families and businesses with those efforts," said Merkley. "You can't get ready after the fire starts, and Congress needs to ensure our communities can access all possible federal resources to prepare for and mitigate wildfires. 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."

"Oregonians who worked hard to rebuild their lives and livelihoods after the devastating Labor Day fires need and deserve these federal investments to protect their homes and small businesses going forward," Wyden said. "I'm glad the teamwork with my colleagues has delivered these resources, and I'll keep battling for similar funds that support wildfire resilience in communities statewide."

"As we head into a severe wildfire season, these investments are critical to regional connectivity in times of emergency," said Rep. Hoyle. "It shouldn't take this long to find the money to get people's lives back on track and rebuild smarter. Keeping our Douglas County communications infrastructure strong is a step in the right direction and can make a huge difference in response time and survival rates."

"Too many Oregonians suffer every year from preventable wildfires," said Rep. Bynum. "This funding ensures that our communities are equipped with all of the resources they need to minimize fire destructions, protect Oregonians, and keep our environment safe.

"Oregonians know how devastating wildfires can be for our communities, families, and local economies," said Rep. Salinas. "These investments will help us better prepare for future disasters by strengthening critical infrastructure, improving emergency response, and reducing wildfire risk before it turns into tragedy. I'm proud to work alongside my colleagues to secure these federal resources and will keep fighting to ensure Oregon communities have the support they need to stay safe, resilient, and ready."

This funding for the grants announced today comes from FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which supports state, local, Tribal, and territorial governments developing hazard mitigation plans and rebuilding in ways that reduce or mitigate future disaster losses in their communities following a Presidentially declared disaster. The four Oregon projects funded are as follows:

1. $3,955,430 for Consumers Power, Inc. for Connected System Protection for Wildfire Mitigation. This project will fund 239 hydraulic reclosers and 10 weather stations throughout Consumers Power, Inc. distribution system to reduce the time and extent of outages. This will enhance the resilience of the community and ensure that access to power will be restored faster during a wildfire event.
2. $3,186,000 for Douglas County Public Works' Hazardous Fuels Reduction. This project will fund the upgrade of the existing emergency radio system infrastructure supporting the Sheriff's Office and 911 communications for Douglas County Public Safety, Law, Fire, and Emergency Medical Services. The proposed upgrade will allow each radio tower to continue to function independently, even if unable to communicate to other towers or the mothership, allowing emergency responders in the vicinity of a tower to continue to communicate and respond during emergencies. This project increases resilience and reduces the risk of injuries, life loss, and property damage and destruction, including critical services and facilities.
3. $219,746 for Consumer Powers, Inc. for Connected System Protection for Wildfire Mitigation. This project will fund the subrecipient, Consumers Power, Inc., management costs to reduce the amount of time in which residents are without power.
4. $177,000 for Douglas County Radio Infrastructure and Improvement. This project will fund the subrecipient's (Douglas County) management costs to upgrade the existing emergency radio system infrastructure supporting the Sheriff's Office and 911 communications for Douglas County Public Safety, Law, Fire, and Emergency Medical Services.

"CPI's recloser upgrade project will enhance electric reliability across six counties in western Oregon. The project will modernize our system to reduce outage durations and minimize the impacts of winter storms and wildfires. These upgrades will also improve system visibility, enabling faster, more informed response when outages occur. This project would not have been possible without FEMA's support, and our partnership with FEMA is critical to keeping electricity reliable and affordable for our members," said James Ramseyer, President/CEO of Consumers Power, Inc.

"Douglas County extends its sincere thanks to Senator Jeff Merkley, Senator Ron Wyden, and Representative Val Hoyle for their support in securing the final portion of our approved FEMA funding for the Douglas County Radio Infrastructure and Improvement Project. Their partnership has been instrumental in helping us strengthen critical communications systems that support public safety across our region," said Tom Kress, Chair, and the Douglas County Board of Commissioners.

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