Wasco Soil and Water Conservation District

Wasco County
Request: $30,000

Funding will support staff time, facilitation, and outreach to coordinate Grasshopper Fire recovery. The fire affected Badger Improvement District, Rock Creek District Improvement Company, portions of The Dalles Watershed, and high-use recreation sites and trails. SWCD and WCFC will convene agencies, irrigation providers, landowners, and recreation partners to identify priorities, clarify responsibilities, and connect needs with technical assistance and funding. Meetings, field tours, and expert presentations will address erosion, debris flow hazards, water supplies, and hazard tree removal along roads, campgrounds, and public access routes. Partners will develop a shared recovery work plan and funding proposals to protect infrastructure, restore safe access, support reforestation, and strengthen preparedness for future fire seasons.

With partial funding, project partners would prioritize staff time to communicate urgent hazard assessment findings focused on water supplies, irrigation infrastructure, and downstream communities. A scaled project would remain possible by relying more heavily on virtual meetings and reducing the number of anticipated site visits. Reduced funding would limit the frequency of coordination, breadth of outreach, and number of projects we could help advance. We would continue seeking additional support to sustain long-term recovery coordination.