The Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) is offering the Community Wildfire Risk Reduction Grant (the “grant”) to assist local governments and organizations in accomplishing greater wildfire preparedness and increasing community resiliency to wildfire.
Donor Name: Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM)
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 01/31/2023
Size of the Grant: $500,000
Details:
The Community Wildfire Risk Reduction Grant is a competitive opportunity open to local governments, including special districts, structural fire service agencies, and non-governmental organizations. Those eligible can apply for wildfire risk reduction projects, equipment, and staff to support local efforts.
The projects funded by this grant will help protect people, property, and communities from wildfire through risk reduction programs. These efforts will better prepare communities for wildfire impacts and create a more fire-adapted Oregon.
Examples of Eligible Projects
These examples are only intended to be helpful. This list is not meant to be exhaustive, restrictive or prescriptive.
- “County A” creates a defensible space program for private homeowners around structures(this could prioritize seniors or other vulnerable communities). Residents are invited to complete an online application that the county designed and maintains to organize and determine needs/locations to work. Crews from a youth core were contracted to complete the work with the oversight and collaboration of a fire district inside “County A” to ensure defensible space best practices are followed.
- Purchase/rent a chipper and sponsoring a community location for two 8-hour days twice a year. Additional staffing/contracting help for seniors or people with disabilities to participate.
- Provide curbside services for the disposal of yard debris through purchasing/renting/transporting roll-off dumpsters twice a year for residents.
- Contract with landscape/tree service to treat vacant and occupied municipal properties to create defensible space around structures and in greenways.
- Contract with landscape, tree service, or forestry services to provide vegetation treatment to residents to create defensible space around homes.
- Partner with organizations to sponsor a volunteer workday for community members to participate in vegetation removal on private or public properties.
- Contract with a landscaping company to create a defensible space demonstration site on a publicly viewable municipal property.
- Partner with the local fire agency to sponsor a defensible space assessment/consultation event for community members.
- Pay for the printing and distribution of informational flyers/letters about local defensible space programs, funding, and initiatives.
- Hire full or part-time personnel or contractor to coordinate and promote the defensible space programs and initiatives.
- Pay for the travel/work expenses for personnel or contractors to engage in activities included above
Eligibility Criteria
- Counties, municipalities, non-governmental organizations, Oregon fire agencies, special districts, and Rangeland Fire Protection Associations (RFPAs).
- Counties are allocated $5 million in competitive funds with a maximum award of $500,000 for any one county.
- If a county is acting as the administrator for another county or other organization for the purposes of this grant, only one award is eligible.
- Municipalities and special districts are allocated $5 million in competitive funds with a maximum award of $250,000 for any one municipality.
- If a municipality or county or other organization is acting as the administrator for another municipality or other organization for the purposes of this grant, only one award is eligible.
- Fire agencies and RFPAs are allocated $5 million in competitive funds with a maximum of $500,000 for any one fire agency.
- Nonprofit, non-governmental organizations (“NGOs”) are allocated $3 million in competitive funds with a maximum of $250,000 for any one agency. Nonprofit or NGOs are voluntary groups of individuals or organizations, usually not affiliated with any government, formed to provide services or advocate a public policy.
- The OSFM reserves the right to reallocate funds as agency needs dictate.
- Applicants are encouraged to coordinate applications in the same jurisdiction, but each organization must apply separately for different aspects for the project.
- All grants are for three (3) years or less, with grant funds spent by March 31, 2026.
For more information, visit Community Wildfire Risk Reduction Grant.
