October 03, 2024

Merkley, Wyden: $1 Million Federal Investment Will Build Resiliency to Wildfires, Smoke in Lane County

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that 

$997,622 is coming to Lane County to build resiliency in the face of climate chaos-fueled wildfires and smoke. This funding under the historic Inflation Reduction Act—the largest investment in climate action in history—will help improve air quality and mitigate the harms of wildfire smoke for Lane County residents, protecting public health and frontline communities disproportionately at risk of these fires.

“When hazardous wildfire smoke blankets our communities, it threatens our health, lives, and livelihoods,” Merkley said. “A record amount of acreage in Oregon has burned by wildfires this year, and we must make sure Oregonians have access to the necessary resources to help respond to the dangerous smoke these fires produced. This money will help protect our communities, and I’ll keep fighting for smart investments like this to tackle wildfires and smoke throughout our state.”

“Wildfires increasingly threaten lives and communities in our beautiful state each year as the climate crisis continues to worsen,” Wyden said. “This federal funding is a perfect example of what I fought for in the Inflation Reduction Act. I applaud this federal investment to Lane County, and will continue to push for more resources to help reduce the risk of wildfires throughout Oregon.”

This grant funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will go toward the following specific strategies and activities:

  • Home hardening and smoke-proofing homes with wildfire and smoke vulnerabilities;
  • Implementing a community-developed Smoke Community Response Plan; 
  • Hiring a wood waste program coordinator to extend the life of a firewood program that delivers seasoned firewood to underserved community members; 
  • Identifying economically viable uses for local forest stock that can help with reducing forest fuel load; 
  • Conducting a research assessment on wildfire smoke in rural Eastern Lane County focused on health and morbidity in relation to the limitation of prescribed fire in the Willamette National Forest; and 
  • Publishing a lessons learned/best practices toolkit that encourages the implementation of similar programs in other regions.

"We're grateful for the EPA's Environmental Justice grant award. This funding will support community-led efforts to protect vulnerable residents from smoke and wildfire hazards in Lane County and LRAPA developing a model for wildfire preparedness strategies to be utilized across the Pacific Northwest. We thank Senators Merkley and Wyden for their continued support and advocacy for environmental justice in our region,” said Travis Knudsen, Executive Director of the Lane Regional Air Protection Agency (LRAPA).

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