The U.S. Forest Service has received stimulus funds to begin work on hazardous fuel reduction projects in six Oregon counties, $1-2 million in each county. $2 million each has been set aside for Josephine, Douglas, Deschutes, and Jefferson counties, and there will be $1 million worth of contracts each in Curry and Crook counties.
The funds were appropriated in the “stimulus” bill, or the “Recovery and Reinvestment Act”. The money will be used to award contracts for work on national forest land to remove hazardous fuels and will employ about 100 people. The contracts should be awarded by March 17.
UPDATE @ 1:00 P.M. PT, March 11
The San Diego Union has a story about specific projects in the Cleveland National Forest that will be undertanken with stimulus funds. One of them is repaving at Camp Ole fire station–where I used to work.
“…placement of new asphalt throughout the fire station area to improve access for fire equipment.”
Of course when I was there, there was no pavement in the parking areas or in front of the apparatus bays.
