Commission approves Mullen Fire damage mitigation funding
The Albany County Commissioners approved funding for Mullen Fire damages, accepting FEMA grant money and adding their own contribution.
Landowners affected by the Mullen Fire will receive some federal and local funds to deal with the impacts of last year’s 176,000-acre wildfire. Those funds will help with everything from removing burnt trees to combating invasive and highly flammable grass species.
The Albany County Commissioners voted Tuesday to contribute funds toward the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grants Program, which is aiming to alleviate damages incurred during the Mullen Fire.
The funds will be distributed to private landowners whose property is within the 176,878 acres damaged or destroyed by the 2020 Mullen Fire, which can be seen on InciWeb’s Mullen Fire Maps.
“We already have allocated $295,625 of these funds to private landowners within the Mullen burn scars.” said Blake Halsey, Emergency Management Agency Coordinator. “That leaves us with only about $83,375 remaining.”
About 75 percent of funds granted will be available through FEMA’s grant program, with the other 25 percent coming from local sources — the Albany County Commission, the Albany County Fire Warden, and landowners and cooperators. With these contributions, the total of post-fire funds comes to about $470,000.
Before receiving any of these funds, landowners must submit an application. The property is inspected and a tracking sheet of damages is produced. Funds from this grant can be spent from September 5, 2021 through May 31, 2024.
“There are two different projects they can cover. One is for hazardous tree removal, which would be burnt trees,” Halsey said. “The other is stabilization of steep slopes and soils. That is cutting falling trees to make a contour on a hillside or steep slope to keep erosion back.”
Contour wattles are commonly used following an environmental disruption such as the Mullen Fire. These barriers prevent excessive runoff on sloped landscapes, disallowing further erosion.
“There will be some other funding that we have set aside for noxious weed spraying,” Halsey said.
Annual cheatgrass, or downy brome, is an invasive, noxious weed that often occurs in disturbed areas such as regions affected by a wildfire. Colonization of cheatgrass interrupts ecological dynamics, beginning with the lack of native perennial grasses. But it also allows for a higher likelihood of future fires, with the cheatgrass itself acting as the fuel.
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