Lane County, Partners Lose $19.5 Million In Contracted Federal Grant Funding To Increase Community Disaster Preparedness -05/06/25
On May 2, Lane County received notification from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that the $19.5 million grant to establish six resiliency hubs in communities across Lane County was terminated.
"This decision appears to be part of a broader, arbitrary review process that unjustly targeted programs vital to small, rural communities like ours,” said Oakridge Mayor Bryan Cutchen. “Our residents are now left without the resilience center that would have served as a critical lifeline during wildfires and smoke events. During a recent wildfire, Oakridge experienced the worst air quality in the world, underscoring the urgent need for this project. The cancellation of this grant puts lives at risk. The people of Oakridge deserve better. We will continue to advocate fiercely for the resources our city needs and explore every possible avenue to complete this vital project."
The grant was a collaborative project with United Way of Lane County; the cities of Cottage Grove, Florence, Oakridge and Veneta; Bethel School District; and Willamalane Park and Recreation District. It would have created safe places for people, especially in rural communities, to go during wildfires or other disasters by:
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renovating six existing community facilities to turn them into places that could safely help people during an emergency.
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Building the capacity of local organizations to participate in planning and better serve their community during emergencies.
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supporting a diverse network of community members to be prepared to respond in an emergency and improve the resilience of their community year-round.
The grant was already under contract and funding allocated long before changing priorities at EPA began to affect the status of grants awarded by the agency. Local partners began working together to in 2023 and the sudden termination throws away years of hard work.
“In Lane County, we pride ourselves on working together to make our communities safer and this grant would have made a real difference in how safe people can be here during the increasing number of and severity of natural disasters,” said Lane County Board Chair David Loveall. “This is a loss for our rural communities in particular because they often are the most directly affected by wildfire and other disaster. All of our staff worked tirelessly on this project and will continue to do so, even in the face of such unprecedented turnaround of the government’s promises.”
Lane County was able to receive approximately $105,000 in reimbursements from the grant funding to help cover the cost of work since the program officially started on March 1, and a limited amount of supplies related to the grant project. None of the larger construction work outlined in the grant contract was accomplished.
Lane County is considering disputing the grant termination and has until the end of May to do so. The project partners will continue to work together to strengthen their relationships and identify other opportunities to work together to better serve people in the event of an emergency, including applying for funding if other grants become available.
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