Already Putting More People to Work in Central Oregon's Crooked River National Grassland
Before: Heavy stands of flammable juniper burns hot. A fire in this fuel would threaten homes adjacent to the wildland.
ARRA creates jobs; protects homes in Central Oregon
PatRick Environmental, a national fire suppression crew contractor out of Redmond, OR, is adding months of work onto the "shoulder season", employing crew members earlier than usual this year. Since the crew operates on a "call when needed" basis, members generally don't start working until mid-June or July, depending on fire season activity.
Thanks to an ARRA "first round" award made to the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests, PatRick crews were contracted to start in late March. And although the project they are currently working on the Crooked River National Grassland is only one of many ARRA projects being implemented in Central Oregon, it makes a difference to the individuals it employs, their families and the local communities who are impacted by some of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation.
Equipment purchases are being made locally for the needed chainsaws, saw parts, gasoline and protective equipment. The purchases are roughly estimated to total approximately $10,000. These purchases are helping to circulate revenue back into the nearby communities.
On the Grassland project, twenty-six crew members who reside in Madras, Prineville, Redmond, Bend and Sisters have been busy thinning and piling at three different locations east and west of Madras in Jefferson County. When their work is complete, a total of 1,939 acres of overcrowded stands of juniper trees will have been treated for hazardous fuels reduction.
The "Round Butte" portion of the Grassland project includes treatment of 916 acres of hazardous fuel reduction adjacent to the Round Butte Subdivision, providing protection against future wildfires for the nearby homes.
The work will also serve to protect a Portland General Electric switch station and nearby Oregon State Parks recreational facilities. The project complements a nearby 800-acre block that was treated for hazardous fuels reduction in 2008. The area previously treated was accomplished with grants from the National Fire Plan.
The Jefferson County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (NOV 2005), which was developed cooperatively between federal, state and local governments, has made it possible to receive these grants and awards for the purposes of hazardous fuels reduction and protection for private property and communities. With ARRA funding added to the mix, it's about providing jobs for our neighbors, too.