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Kittitas (pronounced 'KITT-i-tass') County is located in central Washington State. It spans from the lush forested Cascade Mountains to the upper Yakima River Valley plains and the Columbia River.
Kittitas County, WA - 03/28/2023 - All Wildfire Defense Grant proposals in Kittitas County announced to be funded.
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced last week $197 million in funding for the United States Forest Service (USFS) Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) program as part of the Infrastructure Bill -- $11.17 million will come to Kittitas County to fund wildfire mitigation projects aimed at reducing wildfire risk to communities. Kittitas County Conservation District (KCCD) in partnership with Kittitas County Emergency Management, City of Roslyn Fire Department and Kittitas Fire Adapted Communities Coalition (KFACC) worked together last October to write a $10 million dollar proposal that was awarded funding through CWDG. This proposal addresses one of the County’s most critical concerns: reducing fuels near emergency egress routes identified by Kittitas County Fire Chiefs and connect past treatments along areas to help suppress a wildfire while enhancing forest health. Washington State Department of Natural Resources (WADNR) SE Region Service Cost Forestry in partnership with the Washington State Horse Park (Horse Park) also awarded $420,000 to reduce hazardous fuels and vegetation in the Horse Park. The community of Sky Meadows, on the slopes of the South Cle Elum Ridge’s eastern edge, was also awarded $750,000 to implement fuel breaks within the community and public education for their residents, including defensible space and emergency preparedness. “This has been a concerted effort working with our local partners in writing this grant. These funds will help mitigate the devastating impact of wildfires and help save lives,” stated Sheriff Clay Myers. Community Wildfire Defense Grants are federally funded and intended to help at-risk communities and tribes plan for and mitigate wildfire risk. This round of funding for the federal CWDG grant program attracted 417 applications from 36 states and one territory, and 45 applications from tribes and Alaska Native Corporations totaling $525 million. Projects from 21 states and seven tribes were awarded funding. KFACC is comprised of local representatives that span from first responders, wildfire management officers, foresters, community members and natural resource professionals. KFACC seeks to assist Kittitas County communities to be more adaptable to fire, and take steps to reducing catastrophic damage as seen in many other communities across the Northwest and Western United States. There are several resources, organizations and programs available to help community members prepare their property and prepare for emergencies, and/or recover from wildfire. Wildfire Ready Neighbors offers free home visits from local wildfire professionals who can assist property owners, offer expert guidance on reducing their wildfire risk to their structure and property, and create a personalized Wildfire Ready Plan. To request your Wildfire Ready Neighbor visit; go to wildfireready.com. Kittitas County Conservation District and Upper Kittitas County Fuels Crew offers neighborhood chipping assistance until early June. Contact Wendy Mee at 509-925-3352 ext. 4 or wendy.mee@kccd.net. WA DNR Service Cost Forestry program offers cost-share grants to reduce vegetation on your property by offering a portion of financial assistance. Learn more at www.dnr.wa.gov/cost-share. Visit us on Saturday May 6th, 2023 to explore wildfire suppression equipment and learn more about hardening your home and defensible space at the Wildfire Ready Neighbor for Wildfire Coffee Hour and kick-off wildfire preparedness event at 10 am at Pioneer Coffee, 121 N Pennsylvania Ave, Cle Elum, WA 98922. Thank you to Pioneer Coffee Company for donating coffee! “This award is a testament to the strong partnership and dedication to mitigate wildfire impacts in our County," said Anna Lael, District Manager for Kittitas County Conservation District. "We are so pleased that our proposal was fully funded. We’re looking forward to working with our partners to implement these long-discussed priority projects over the next 5 years.”
Kittitas County, from the Cascades to the Columbia, and online at http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us
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Contact: Anna LaelDistrict ManagerKittitas County Conservation District509-925-3352Anna.lael@kccd.net
