Grant funding received to support wildfire recovery

The McKenzie Valley Long-Term Recovery Group (MVLTRG) is the recipient of two Community Rebuilding Fund grants totaling $256,850 via the Oregon Community Foundation.

The grants will help the MVLTRG to do multiple things:

• Build organizational capacity by hiring a limited number of staff, including the newly appointed executive director, who can lead recover efforts and increase the reach of the MVLTRG.

• Improve the resiliency of the materials residents can use in rebuilding by helping people to upgrade their building materials to those that are fire-resistant.

• Support enacting Firewise landscaping tactics to increase the resiliency of homes and properties, including the purchase of native, fire-resistant plants and landscaping tools and labor.

“With this grant funding, we estimate we can help up to 200 families upgrade to fire resistant building materials or put Firewise landscaping techniques into place,” said Executive Director Devin Thompson. “McKenzie Valley residents are in the unfortunate position of needing to prepare for the next fire while they rebuild from this one and every bit of support makes a difference.”

The Community Rebuilding Fund grants are a partnership between Oregon Community Foundation, Meyer Memorial Trust, and The Ford Family Foundation. The fund was created in response to the 2020 Labor Day wildfires and will serve applicants in fire-affected communities across the state.