The Palouse Conservation District received a $146,709 grant from the Washington State Conservation District that will allow landowners to apply for assistance in maintaining wildfire resiliency in Whitman county.
The PCD is a voluntary organization that works to assist landowners in agricultural production and land ownership in the Palouse region. The wildfire resiliency assistance program will provide funding for contractors to inspect landowners property and provide information on how to better protect their land and farms from wildfire damage, said Andrew Maggie, resource conservation program coordinator.
The PCD will prioritize targeting the wildland urban interfaces and rural communities, Maggie said. The grant money will allow the PCD to assess the risks of home ignition, improve forest health, defensible space creation and reduce hazardous fuels.
“This is a statewide initiative to prevent the spreading of wildfires throughout the region, it will be a great benefit for residents, especially farmers and other agricultural businesses,” Maggie said.
While the PCD tries to cover all costs, there will be potential cost-sharing for projects such as hazardous vegetation removal and others that exceed the budget, Maggie said.
Shana Joy, southeast regional manager and Washington state conservation commission regional manager director, said she was responsible for receiving the application for the wildfire resiliency project. The grant is the first of its kind, as no grant that works to prevent wildfire has been passed before due to lack of funding and investment.
The grant will be received by several other districts across Washington state, Joy said. Each district independently runs the grant, while the Washington state conservation commission is responsible for administering the funds.
“It is a very good thing this grant was approved, so that we can work to prevent wildfires that have been damaging Washington state’s environment for many years, wildfires are a big risk in our state” Joy said.
The wildfire resiliency grant is supported by the Climate Committee Act of Washington state, a bill implemented to reduce Washington states carbon emissions Joy said. The grant will expire June 30 2025, and the PCD has until then to use the funds.
Those interested in requesting assistance can find the application on their website. Those wishing to apply are required to submit their application by Feb 29.
