Forest Resiliency and Fuels Reduction (FR2) SWAP
As part of the Deschutes Soil and Water Conservation District’s (DSWCD) Soil and Water Assistance Program (SWAP), DSWCD will be offering a forest resiliency and fuels reduction program to help private forest landowners improve forest stand conditions and increase wildfire resiliency beyond the 100-ft zone of defensible space. All forest landowners of Deschutes County are eligible to apply.
Applicants will be reimbursed for treatment costs at a 75% rate or up to $60,000 per landowner, whichever is less.
Acceptable forest treatments include but are not limited to:
Forest Density Management
Woody Residue Treatment
Tree Pruning
Reforestation
Site Preparation
Wildlife Habitat Enhancement
Eligibility
Applicants must own forestland (ORS 321.805) in Deschutes County.
Applicant must agree to pre- and post-implementation site visits and monitoring and documentation to verify project completion and treatment costs.
Projects must be completed within two years of the award date. Applicants may only have one FR2 grant active at any given time.
FAQ
Yes! We encourage joint applications — collaboration among neighbors reduces treatment costs and improves landscape-scale resiliency.
Yes! In fact, securing funding from entities other than Deschutes SWCD can strengthen your application. We will still only reimburse applicants for up to 75% of the total treatment cost, however. For example, if your project will cost $100,000 and you receive $60,000 in financial assistance from NRCS, the Post-Wildfire SWAP will reimburse landowners for up to $15,000 ($100,000 x 75% = $75,000 – $60,000 = $15,000). Forest harvest revenues will also be considered “additional funding” and will be subtracted from the reimbursement amount.
Yes! There’s no minimum acreage. That said, applying jointly with neighbors and covering more acres makes for a stronger application.
You and District staff will agree on a treatment plan before final grant award. Potential treatments include forest thinning, slash piling, pile burning, mastication, tree planting, prescribed burning, and more.
Still have questions? Reach out!