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Presenter:
Kevin Moriarty
▪FY24-25 Proposed Budget Presentation
Budget Committee Meeting | May 22, 2024
Natural Resources Overview
The Natural Resource Department
provides leadership, technical
expertise and assistance to protect
and enhance natural resources
while reducing risks to life and
property.
Forester
1.00 FTE
Fire Adapted Communities
Coordinator
1.00 FTE
Natural Resources Overview (cont.)
•Project Wildfire
•FireFree
•Firewise USATM
•Deschutes County Noxious
Weed Advisory Committee
•Deschutes Forest
Collaborative Project
•Oregon Living with Fire
•Deschutes Soil and Water
Conservation District
Natural Resources Accomplishments
•Awarded 27 Firewise USATM
Communities grant funding
totaling $72,000.
•FEMA (HMGP) Grant
Agreement
•Completed Odin Falls
Ranch Fuel Reduction
Project (22 Properties).
•BLM Community Fire
Assistance Agreement
•Completed Whychus
Canyon Estates Fuel
Reduction Project (28
properties).
Odin Falls Ranch Fuel Reduction Project: Before Odin Falls Ranch Fuel Reduction Project: After
Natural Resources Accomplishments
•OSFM Community Wildfire Risk
Reduction Agreement.
•Funded 19 Communities with
Dumpsters for 2024 Spring FireFree.
•Awarded ODA/OWEB Noxious
Weed Grant, $29,768.
Natural Resources Accomplishments
•Mentorship Program
•43 Communities participating
Established Project Wildfire Neighborhood Coalition
FY 24-25 Natural Resources Budget Details
•Natural Resources staff is
funded by PILT and Title III.
•The majority of revenues
come from grants and
agreements.
24-25 RESOURCES
FY 24-25 Natural Resources Budget Details
•1.00 FTE included in proposed
budget for grant administration.
•Need for personal services to
administer fuel reduction and
noxious weed contracts.
24-25 REQUIREMENTS
FY 24-25 Fiscal Issues
•Keeping up with pace and scale
of Deschutes County natural
resource issues.
•Fire/fuels
•Juniper encroachment
•Drought
•Climate change
•Noxious weeds
•Title III funding is ending
2025.
•Limited funding for treating
Deschutes County properties.
Short-term Fiscal Issues Long-term Fiscal Issues
Current Challenges and Future Initiatives
•Streamline Deschutes County fuel reduction and noxious weed grant process.
•Increase pace and scale of fuel reduction and noxious weed control.
•Consider Noxious Weed Coordinator.
•Contract administration
capacity.
•Population growth and
increased fire risk increase
need for funding and capacity.
•Increased presence of noxious
weeds and need for noxious
weed control.
Challenges Future Initiatives
FY 24-25 Special Requests
•Special Request Priority #1 for FY24-25
•Increase 1.00 Natural Resources FTE to assist with grants,
agreements and fuel reduction/noxious weed service contracts.
•Firewise USATM Communities have more than doubled since 2018.
•Deschutes County has grown 30% in the the last 12 years, yet
staffing levels have remained the same.
•Natural Resources Department needs to build capacity to
increase the pace and scale of fuel reduction and noxious weed
control.
•Initial funding would be from contingency and grant
administration revenue. PILT funding or other funding would
need to increase after 5 years to offset contingency.
Thank you