The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) selected Tri-County Weed Management Area to receive a total of $974,581 for two grants at the April 22-23, 2025, board meeting in Independence.

The Post Fire Recovery and Restoration in Response to the Durkee and Thompson Fires project will receive $444,140 to provide funding to fill treatment gaps on private lands as well as provide technical assistance and coordination of all noxious weed control efforts where the Durkee and Thompson fires burned over 200,000 acres in Baker County alone.

The Post-Fire Recovery and Restoration in Response to the Town Gulch and Coyote Fires project will receive $530,441 to minimize the spread of invasive noxious weeds and promote the success of native habitat rehabilitation in the footprints of the Coyote and Town Gulch fires near Richland.

“These projects are a wonderful investment of Oregon Lottery funds. They help to restore lands hit by wildfire with native plant communities, and improve habitat for many different fish and wildlife species including sage-grouse,” says Sara O’Brien, OWEB’s Executive Director.

At its April 2015 meeting, the OWEB Board adopted a policy to make available at least $10 million through its granting programs over the next 10 years in support of projects located in Oregon’s sage steppe ecosystem directed to improve habitat. Total funding awarded to sage-grouse projects since 2015 has surpassed the $10,000,000 goal with $18,419,579, including the recent grant awards made this April.

OWEB awarded 66 grants to local organizations totaling $18,585,210 statewide. These grants support projects in restoration, technical assistance, engagement, water acquisition, and drinking water source protection. Funding for these grants comes from the Oregon Lottery and other state sources, along with federal Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

A listing of all awarded grants from the April 22-23, 2025, board meeting is available at: https://www.oregon.gov/oweb/Documents/2025-Apr-Board-Awards.pdf