Smoke from a wildfire in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington State rises in the background in this view Hood River, Ore, Sunday, July 2, 2023. Authorities have more than doubled the number of people battling the wildfire that has burned some homes and forced the evacuation of hundreds of others in southwestern Washington near the Columbia River Gorge. (Joel Odom/The Oregonian via AP)
July 5, 2023
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Towns could save themselves from wildfire — if they knew about this money
U.S. Forest Service is distributing $1 billion to help communities protect themselves during fire season
There’s actually a huge pot of federal money available to communities across the country — an unprecedented amount that would allow towns to quickly tackle work that otherwise would take decades. But local leaders in Packwood, which has fewer than 1,200 residents, and some other areas say they haven’t heard of the program, and most haven’t drafted the protection plans needed to apply for grants.