SALEM, Ore.—The Oregon Department of Forestry will host a virtual information session from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday October 25 for anyone who wants to learn more about forest restoration and mitigation grant programs funded by Senate Bill 762. 

The virtual event will include a presentation about development of the grant programs, review of key timelines, and time for questions and answers. Members of the public who want to provide more detailed input for consideration will have until 5 p.m. on Monday, November 1 to submit written comments to odf.restoration@oregon.gov.  

The session will cover two sections of Senate Bill 762:

• implementation of a $20 million grant program focused on landscape-scale forest restoration and fuels reduction work to reduce wildfire risk; and
• implementation of a $5 million grant program for small forestland owners to reduce fuels and mitigate fire risk.

Discussion during the virtual session will be summarized and provided to advisory groups, along with any written comments received by the deadline, for consideration as they help staff finalize program implementation details.

The webinar can be accessed at https://odf.zoom.us/j/93013327128. It will also be recorded for later viewing and posted on the department’s YouTube channel. The public will have an opportunity to submit questions live during the webinar. 

Senate Bill 762 is comprehensive legislation passed with bipartisan support that will provide more than $220 million to help Oregon modernize and improve wildfire preparedness through three key strategies: creating fire-adapted communities, developing safe and effective response, and increasing the resiliency of Oregon's landscapes. The bill is the product of years of hard work by the Governor's Wildfire Council, the Legislature, and state agencies.

Additional information about Senate Bill 762 is available on ODF’s website.