A new $1 million federal grant will help efforts to reduce wildfire risk in the McKenzie River Valley and the South Hills of Eugene.
The grant was a part of a funding package requested by Oregon’s two U.S. senators, Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley. It will allow EWEB, McKenzie Fire & Rescue and the Oregon Department of Forestry to reduce wildfire fuels in high risk areas.
EWEB spokesperson Aaron Orlowski said the funds will help the utility remove trees or dangerous branches growing too close to power lines.
"There are multiple benefits to making sure that there's sufficient space and distance between electric equipment and trees from wildfire season to ice storm season,” he said.
Orlowski said EWEB has already been working to remove potentially hazardous trees and fuels, but the grant will expand those efforts.
He said the utility will use satellite technology to identify the highest-risk areas. The grant will allow EWEB to assist people who can’t afford to remove their hazardous trees.
“They may know that they need to get some work done on the fuels on their property but sometimes they don’t have the money to do so,”Orlowski said. “By working with EWEB, they can take care of that issue and make their land more resilient.”
EWEB will use satellite technology and the grant funds to monitor and manage vegetation across about 300 miles of powerlines in the utility’s service area.
