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HomeMy WebLinkAboutGrant Request - COIC - Wildfire ReductionEconomic Development Fund Discretionary Grant Program Organization: Central Oregon Intergovnermental Council (COIC) Organization Description: COIC serves Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson counties and the cities of Bend, Culver, Madras, Metolius, Prineville, Redmond and Sisters. The 15 - member board consists of elected officials appointed by each member jurisdiction and appointed representatives from key economic sectors — business and industry, tourism and recreation, agribusiness and agriculture, timber and wood products, and the unemployed/underemployed. The organization strives to provide education, retaining and economic development services to positively affect regional and local government, individuals and the business community. Project Name: Central Oregon Partnership for Wildfire Risk Reduction (COPWRR) Project Description: The COPWRR project is a local colaborative initiative aimed at reducing wildfire risk, improving forest healt,h and providing local jobs and income in the forest communities of Central Oregon. More than 30 stakeholder organizations participate in COPWRR, including local forest products industry, environmental, community and tribal organizations, as well as federal, state and local government agencies. For 2008 and 2009 the follwing actions are planned: • Continue working with local businesses to secure a predictable supply of wood fiber from the federal forests • Assist with the development of new biomass utilizing enterprises — particularly biomass energy applications • Conduct environmental monitoring for five thinning projects • Continue to build and maintain consensus among diverse forest stakeholders through COPWRR stakeholder meetings • Assist with educating the public about the need for fuels reduction and forest restoration work and the benefits of biomass utilization The funds will be used specifically to support staffing for the COPWRR project in completing the actions listed above. This includes the work of the COIC program administrator and program coordinators in the Natural Resources Program area. Project Period: Funded needed by May 1, 2008 Amount of Request: $5,000 Previous Grants: • January 2001: $2,500 ($833 Luke, $833 Daly, $833 DeWolf) • March 2002: $2,000 Non-sawtimber market study ($2,000 Luke) Deschutes County Board of Commissioners 1300 NW Wall St., Bend, OR 97701-1960 (541) 388-6570 - Fax (541) 385-3202 - www.deschutes.org DESCHUTES COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUND DISCRETIONARY GRANT PROGRAM APPLICATION Direct Application to: Commissioner Tammy Baney Commissioner Dennis R. Luke Date: 3/26/08 Project Name: Project Beginning Date: Amount of Request: Commissioner Michael M. Daly All Three Commissioners X Central OR. Partnerships for Wildfire Risk Re 5/1/2008 $5000 Applicant/Organization: Address: Project End Date: Date Funds Needed: Tax ID #: City & Zip: Telephone: Email: C.O.I.0 2363 SW Glacier Place Contact Name(s): Fax: Phil Chang 548-9549 Alternate Phone: 4/30/2009 5/1/2008 93-0620261 Redmond 97756 541-548-9534 pchang@coic.org On a separate sheet, please briefly answer the following questions: 1. Describe the applicant organization, including its purpose, leadership structure, and activities. 2. Describe the proposed project or activity. 3. Provide a timeline for completing the proposed project or activity. 4. Explain how the proposed project or activity will impact the community's economic health. 5. Identify the specific communities or groups that will benefit. 6. Itemize anticipated expenditures*. Describe how grant funds will be used and include the source and amounts of matching funds or in-kind contributions, if any. If the grant will support an ongoing activity, explain how it will be funded in the future. Attach: Proof of the applicant organization's non-profit status. COIC is a public agency. * Applicant may be contacted during the review process and asked to provide a complete line item budget. Amount Approved: By: Date: Declined: By: Date: duction Deschutes County Economic Development Fund Discretionary Grant Program Application for the Central Oregon Partnerships for Wildfire Risk Reduction (COPWRR) project The Central Oregon Partnerships for Wildfire Risk Reduction (COPWRR) project is a local collaborative initiative aimed at reducing wildfire risk, improving forest health, and providing local jobs and income in the forest communities of Central Oregon. More than 30 stakeholder organizations participate in COPWRR, including local forest products industry, environmental, community, and tribal organizations and federal, state and local government agencies. The Central Oregon Intergovermnental Council (COIC) acts as the coordinating agency and fiscal agent for COPWRR. Over the past seven years, the COPWRR stakeholders have worked to grow local businesses and markets that can utilize the woody biomass by-products of forest thinning projects. Growing these markets enables treatment of more acres of forest and stimulates local economic benefits. Notable achievements in the last two years include: • Assisting JTS Animal Bedding (Redmond) in securing a $250,000 grant for a new whole log shaving facility and helping to develop their small -diameter log supply • Assisting T2 Inc to develop new markets for biomass hogg fuel removed from fuels reduction projects on private, Deschutes County, and federal lands. Also, assisting T2 to secure financing for new chipping equipment • Assisting the Prineville Sawmill Company to secure $95,000 of grants and tax credits for renewable energy components of their new lumber kiln -drying facility • Assisting Warm Springs Forest Products Industries (WSFPI) to secure needed biomass fuel supply from federal forest lands for their 15+ MW power plant • Assisting Silvan Power Company and the Bonneville Environmental Foundation with feasibility analysis for new woody biomass -fired power plants in the region • Creating a regional database (CROP) of forecasted woody biomass supply to help stimulate investment in biomass utilizing enterprises • Developed an environmental monitoring program to build and sustain environmental organization support for forest thinning activities For more information about the COPWRR project please see www.coic.org/copwrr. During 2008 and 2009 we plan to: a) continue working with local businesses to assist them with securing a predictable supply of wood fiber from the federal forests, b) assist with the development of new biomass utilizing enterprises — particularly biomass energy applications, c) conduct environmental monitoring for 5 thinning projects, d) continue to build and maintain consensus among diverse forest stakeholders through COPWRR Stakeholder meetings, and e) assist with educating the public about the need for fuels reduction and forest restoration work and the benefits of biomass utilization. COIC would like to request $5000 from the County Economic Development Fund to support the COPWRR project between May 2008 and April 2009. For this same time period COIC has secured $50,000 in federal grants, $12,000 in private industry funding, $7,000 in funding from private foundations and non-profit organizations, and $45,000 from the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests and Prineville BLM. Each of these funders is investing in COPWRR with the expectation that a modest level of local matching funds will be provided to leverage their investment. Crook and Jefferson Counties each provided $5000 for the COPWRR project for federal fiscal year 2008 from County Title III funds. Deschutes County was not able to provide Title III funds for the COPWRR project in FY 2008 but County staff recommended that we seek a County Economic Development Fund grant. We understand that the typical County Economic Development Fund grant is $3000 or less and would understand if the Commissioners wanted to adjust our request to match the norm. The funds will be used to support staffing for the COPWRR project to complete the tasks (a through e) described above. Specifically, these funds would be allocated to the work of the COIC Program Administrator and Program Coordinators in the Natural Resources Program area. The current plan is to convert COPWRR into a independent non-profit organization by 2010 so that the project can better access private foundation funds for community forestry projects. With your support the COPWRR project will help to support the growth of local businesses that utilize small diameter logs and woody biomass through feasibility analysis, biomass supply development, and assistance with securing grants, tax credits and. loans. Growing these businesses will not only result in more living wage manufacturing jobs in town, it will also result in more jobs in the woods harvesting, processing and transporting small log and woody biomass material. One way to view this project is that COPWRR is helping to revitalize the forest products sector and help it to grow around a supply of raw material that is abundant and much less politically controversial. The project will also help to build the renewable energy industry cluster that is developing in Central Oregon as local businesses and agencies adopt biomass -fueled heating systems and if a biomass power plant is eventually built in the County. Using biomass for energy production keeps dollars spent on energy circulating in the local economy instead of leaving the County, State or nation. Deschutes County residents who live near forests and rangelands will benefit from this project because new markets for biomass material enable hazardous fuel reduction on more acres of land, keeping homes and lives safer. Businesses and workers in the new forest products sector and biomass energy fields will also benefit as described above. Finally, people who care about the health of our forest ecosystems will benefit as treatments that restore big trees and protect watersheds and habitat while reducing wildfire risk and producing raw material for industry are implemented. The County Economic Development Fund presents a key opportunity to match and leverage external dollars. We hope that Deschutes County will consider our request for a $5000 County Economic Development Fund grant favorably. Thank you for your consideration. Please contact Phil Chang, COIC Program Administrator and staff to the COPWRR project, at (541) 548-9534 if you would like additional information.