Assisting national wildlife refuges in oregon washington and idaho with prescribed fire support and fuels reduction

The U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) awarded Clackamas County Fire District NO. 1 a $200,000 Project Grant on September 15, 2025, under the National Fire Plan-Wildland Urban Interface Community Fire Assistance program (CFDA 15.674). The three-year project, extending through September 15, 2028, supports prescribed fire and fuels reduction activities across National Wildlife Refuges in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. The grant funds comprehensive fuels management services including mechanical thinning of understory vegetation using chainsaw-qualified personnel, debris pile construction, and prescribed fire implementation support to enhance refuge landscape management capacity.

The funded project strengthens regional wildfire mitigation capability by providing dedicated personnel and operational support, particularly during winter months when pile burning activities occur on refuge properties. These services directly address hazardous fuels reduction objectives outlined in the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy while building local capacity within the USFWS Region 1 fuels management program.

USFWS region 1 fuels work will include all sorts of techniques. Providing staff equipped with chainsaw qualifications for thinning of understory vegetation as well as piling debris into burnable piles. Assisting FWS staff with personnel to help with prescribed fire implementation across many refuge landscapes. Adding to capacity during the winter months for pile burning on refuges.