Juvenile Department receives wildfire reduction grant

ALBANY — The Linn County Juvenile Department has received a $101,114 grant from the State Fire Marshal’s Office to support wildfire risk reduction programs.

The funds will be used to purchase a wood chipper, $36,874 and a dump trailer, $10,240 and to provide $54,000 for stipends for young people who work on the trails crew.

“Rob Perkins put together this proposal after he and I discussed the possibility of using grant funds to purchase some needed equipment and pay youth minimum wage for working on these projects,” explained Juvenile Department Director Torri Lynn.  “We already have a restitution program in which youth can earn money to pay restitution to their victims.  This will give youth the opportunity to earn money to put in their own pocket.” 

Lynn added, “We are pretty excited about getting this going and hopefully will be able to provide some summer employment opportunities for youth who have been referred to the department.  These are the types of experiences we can give youth in our communities to help them gain valuable job experience and secure future employment.”

The Oregon State Fire Marshal’s office created a grant review committee that included representatives from the Fire Marshal’s Office, Oregon Department of Forestry, non-governmental organizations, fire service agencies, special districts, and emergency management.

Projects were prioritized based on the following:

• Impact in high-wildfire risk regions.

• Those in and around the built environment.

• Protecting people and communities.

• Providing defensible space and community resiliency.

Along with the committee’s work, the Fire Marshal’s Office prioritized geographically diverse projects to ensure all areas of the state can improve community wildfire risk reduction efforts and better prepare communities. There were 164 applications for 269 projects, totaling a requested $44,543,521.

Fire Marshal Office staff said that as wildfires increase in size and scope, all areas of Oregon have and can be impacted by wildfire. It is important that every Oregonian and community prepare for wildfire risks. For training webinars and more resources, visit www.oregon.gov/osp/programs/sfm/Pages/Wildfire-Initiatives.aspx.