SPOKANE, Wash. — The Washington State Department of Resources (DNR) is awarding grants to communities affected by wildfires in support of reforestation efforts.
"Post-fire recovery is a challenge for a lot of communities, a lot of landowners and a lot of state agencies," said Collin Haffey, DNR's post-fire recovery program manager. "And reforestation is a big part of that."
In June 2024, DNR announced post-fire reforestation financial assistance grants to restore land owned by tribes, private forest landowners, local governments and other state agencies. These grants will facilitate the planting of approximately 400,000 seedlings.
Haffey says the areas affected by the catastrophic Oregon Road and Gray Fires in 2023 in Spokane County are examples of areas in need of restoration.
"There's a lot of fires going back 20, 30 years that we're trying to get trees back into," said Haffey.
Five grants have been awarded by DNR since June, totaling at $906,938 and ranging from $114,000 to $268,000 each. Haffey says applicants must match half the funding so that DNR crews can plant and collect seeds and monitor each site as needed.
"We can come in sooner after a fire and do some replanting, taking advantage, for lack of a better word, of the conditions on the ground after the fire where a lot of vegetation has been burned," said Haffey.
Haffey says replanting sooner rather than later can help mitigate the risk of future wildfires or the spread of a fire if one occurs.
"To build that pipeline, that reforestation pipeline, so that we're solid in every aspect of that, especially on the east side," said Haffey.
Haffey says that forestland property owners and others engaged in forest management or protection can contact their local forester for assistance through DNR's forester index.
Additional information on forest health, financial and technical assistance, education and localized regulations. can be found at the DNR assistance portal.