Vale Rangeland Fire Protection District
Malheur County
Request: $42,000
The Vale Rangeland Fire Protection Association (RFPA) is requesting disaster‑resilience funding to purchase and outfit a road grader that will be used to create and maintain fire breaks across rangeland protection area. The region faces increasingly severe wildfire seasons, and the ability to rapidly construct and reinforce fire breaks is one of the most effective tools we have to keep rangeland fires small, protect rural communities, and prevent large‑scale disasters. The requested road grader will allow the RFPA to:
Proactively create fire breaks before fire season, breaking up continuous fuels and reducing the likelihood of large, fast‑moving rangeland fires.
Rapidly construct emergency fire lines during active fires, giving firefighters safe anchor points and improving our ability to stop fire spread.
Maintain and widen existing fire breaks, improving long‑term landscape resilience.
Support suppression efforts during wind‑driven or high‑intensity fire events, when heavy equipment is essential to protect homes, livestock, and critical infrastructure.
The grader costs $32,000, and we are requesting an additional $10,000 to outfit it for safe and effective wildfire operations. These funds will cover full cab with air conditioning (required for operator safety in smoke and heat), initial service and repair, replacement tires and essential parts, and fire‑ready outfitting and safety equipment. This investment directly strengthens the community’s wildfire resilience by giving the Vale RFPA the ability to act before disaster strikes, reduce fuel continuity, and keep fires small. It also ensures we can respond quickly and effectively during fire season, protecting rangeland, homes, livestock, and critical natural resources.
