<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.5848" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY>
<DIV><SPAN class=610220515-18092009><FONT face=Arial>Oregon Department of
Forestry</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=610220515-18092009><FONT face=Arial>NEWS
RELEASE</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=610220515-18092009><FONT face=Arial>September 17,
2009</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>The Oregon Department of Forestry's (ODF) Central Oregon
District has been awarded $600,000 in grants to help private forest landowners
reduce the threat of wildfire on their lands. The federal Recovery funds are
being provided by the U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Northwest Region through the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. <BR><BR>These grant funds will
be obligated towards hazardous fuels reduction projects associated with
wildland-urban interface areas in Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson counties. The
federal dollars are expected to stimulate local economies within the tri-county
area by supporting and creating approximately 150 jobs. <BR><BR>Private forest
landowners are encouraged to apply for the funds through the ODF office in
Prineville. Eligible project proposals include: fuels treatment projects
including but not limited to establishment of shaded fuel breaks, removal of
ladder fuels, thinning of overstocked tree stands, and other vegetative
treatments or practices that enhance defensible space around homes or
communities. <BR><BR>To receive consideration for funding, a proposed hazardous
fuels treatment project must be associated with a "Community at Risk" as
identified in a local Community Wildfire Protection Plan. <BR><BR>Community
Wildfire Protection Plans for the tri-county area can be viewed at: </FONT><A
href="http://www.projectwildfire.org/Current/Current/cwpp.html"><FONT
face=Arial>www.projectwildfire.org/Current/Current/cwpp.html</FONT></A><FONT
face=Arial><SPAN class=610220515-18092009> </SPAN> <BR><BR>Additional
program details are available on the ODF economic stimulus web page, </FONT><A
href="http://www.oregon.gov/ODF/recovery/index.shtml"><FONT
face=Arial>www.oregon.gov/ODF/recovery/index.shtml</FONT></A><FONT
face=Arial><SPAN class=610220515-18092009> -</SPAN> For information
regarding enrollment requirements, eligible hazardous fuels reduction projects,
and program rates, contact Stu Otto, ODF Stewardship Forester, at the ODF
Central Oregon District Office in Prineville, 541-447-5658, e-mail: <SPAN
class=610220515-18092009><U><FONT color=#0000ff><A
href="mailto:sotto@odf.state.or.us">sotto@odf.state.or.us</A></FONT></U></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=610220515-18092009><FONT
face=Arial>###</FONT></SPAN></DIV></BODY></HTML>