The Biden administration plans to spend $3 billion on a new wildfire prevention plan that could help reduce catastrophic wildfire in high-risk areas in Oregon.
Advocates say the funding will create jobs in the timber industry and reinvigorate rural communities, but critics say the plan doesn’t bring anything new to the table and relies too heavily on logging.
The 10-year plan announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Tuesday would pay for more prescribed burning, selective logging, and removal of dead trees and vegetation in areas at high risk of wildfires.
The funds will come from the newly adopted Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Federal agencies will work with states, tribes, local communities and private landowners to determine which areas are most vulnerable to wildfires and develop wildfire prevention plans.