DEQ awards conservation district grant in Hood River

Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, with new funding from the legislature, established the Alternatives to Burning Grant Program. The program provides funding to help landowners who are removing forest fuels from their property and creating defensible space.

Community partners, including the Hood River Soil and Water Conservation District and Hood River Forest Collaborative, were successful in securing a grant to support landowners in Hood River County.

“Creating defensible space is the most effective way to reduce risk to your home in a future wildfire event,” said Heather Hendrixson, district manager with Hood River Soil and Water Conservation District. According to the National Fire Protection Association, removing vegetation such as dead branches and clearing debris such as leaves and pine needles from gutters, are critical steps to improving preparedness. Defensible space fact sheets are available in both English and Spanish at the NFPA website, www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-risks/Wildfire/Preparing-homes-for-wildfire.

Mount Adams Resource Stewards, a Gorge-based non-profit, will have their local stewardship crew available to chip branches, small trees, and other woody debris for private landowners during two days this spring, Friday, April 29 and Monday, May 2. All landowners and home-owners in Hood River County are eligible to participate in this free program.

Landowners can sign-up to participate by calling 541-978-9615 or filling out an online form at forms.gle/co7XJ3mzc2dorDiX9.

The grant from DEQ is also providing orchardists in Hood River County with options to get rid of orchard waste through use of an air curtain burner. Air curtain burners incinerate wood waste and reduce emissions and particulate matter. The district is currently signing up orchardists interested in participating in the program. To learn more, contact SWCD at heather@hoodriverswcd.org or 541-386-4588.

About Hood River Soil and Water Conservation District

The Hood River Soil and Water Conservation District was established in 1953. The SWCD helps landowners, managers, and residents protect, conserve, and enhance natural resources.

About Hood River Forest Collaborative

Established in 2011, the Hood River Forest Collaborative brings together diverse stakeholders to plan forest restoration projects on the Mount Hood National Forest.