Fall 2024 Grant

🎇UPDATE: October 18, 2024

*Our Skyliner Firewise Committee was awarded $2,500🎆 

*15 homeowners took advantage of the offer and had their home assessed by our committee in order to get part of the grant.

*As soon as the money is in the bank, we will start awarding owners who have done the work.

Our committee will keep applying for grants and we will keep encouraging all neighbors to participate in being fully Firewise!

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September 2024

Deschutes County to award grant money to Firewise Communities’ homeowners working to reduce fuel in the 0-5 feet zone around their property.

Dear Skyliner Summit Neighbor,

The Deschutes County grant for fuel reduction is going to be $125,000 this year and the application deadline is September 30, 2024. Each Community applying can expect to get between $1,000 and $5,000. We are aiming for $5,000!

Would you like a piece of the pie, say $400? If yes, read below

1)       You know that you have work to do to reduce fire hazards in your 0-5 feet around your home and you would not mind a little money incentive to get going.

2)       Your Firewise Committee for Skyliner Summit HOA is going to request funds from the grant to allow you to do some work. The committee needs to know how many of you are interested.

3)       You have until September 26, 2024 to complete your application. It can take as little as 30 minutes!

4)       You have until June 15, 2025 to do the work.

For more details on how to apply and how it works click on the link that will direct you to our website with all the information and, as always, you can also contact our committee representative Laurence Le Mercier at 503-847-1769 or lolo.usafr@gmail.com

HOW MUCH MONEY CAN I EXPECT?

The $125,000 is shared among communities and we have been told that the maximum each community will get is $5,000. To ensure that many of you get the opportunity to benefit from this fund, we have capped the amount per owner at $400.

I AM A SKYLINER SUMMIT HOMEOWNER, HOW DO I APPLY TO GET THE MONEY IN 3 STEPS?

1) Get your property assessed for fire risks in the 0-5 feet zone. Your Firewise representative for your neighborhood, Laurence Le Mercier, has had a training that allows her to give you recommendations on your wildfire risks. You can contact her directly at 503-847-1769 or lolo.usafr@gmail.com  to schedule a 30-minute tour of your property. You can also make an appointment with Bend Fire & Rescue, and they will come and assess your home. Click on the following link: https://www.bendoregon.gov/government/departments/fire-rescue/prevention/address-signs/wildfire-risk-assessment-request-form/-fsiteid-1#!/

2) Once you get your assessment done, you can decide to:

a)  do the work yourself and we will pay a bounty fee for each item removed, trimmed, limbed up, etc… up to $400.

b) get a quote from a landscaping contractor.

3) Send us a copy of the quote or the detail of the work you will do, and a copy of the assessment if not done by us. We will stop by your property to verify that the work will be in the 0-5 feet zone.

We will write the grant and include all your applications; once we have the money, we will contact you to let you know if you have been chosen for this grant session.

WHAT IS MY TIMELINE?

1)   If you are interested, reply to Laurence Le Mercier using this email address: lolo.usafr@gmail.com   before September 14, 2024.

2) Get your assessment scheduled by September 15 at the latest.

3) Email us the copy of your quote/ work detail and assessment by September 26. (after September 26 we will not be able to include your quote).

4) Your Firewise Committee will submit the grant request on September 29.

5)If you are selected, you will receive the money if you have the work done by June 15, 2025.

WHY DO YOU NEED MY APPLCIATION NOW IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE GRANT MONEY YET?

In order to obtain money from the grant, we need tangible proof that a reasonable number of owners are going to do fuel reduction work.

WHAT IF I THERE IS NO MORE MONEY FOR ME?

Since our possible share of the pie will be small, it will go fast. We encourage you to apply quickly as we will honor application in the order they arrive completed.

If you have done everything in time but there is not enough money to honor all applications, we will keep your paperwork and apply again for the next grant.

ARE THERE EXCLUSIONS?

No. Everybody can apply. Although we will prioritize homeowners who have never participated in our prior bounty program (where we paid for work done).

WHAT IF I DON’T WANT TO WORK ON REDUCING RISKS IN MY 0-5 FEET ZONE?

We encourage you to read on our website the many reasons why you should (https://sites.google.com/view/firewiseatskylinersummit ) and we also want to note that insurance companies  are beginning to ask homeowners in Central Oregon to work on wildfire risk reduction on their property before extending  their insurance. Not all insurance companies will do this. Some will drop you or premium will get very expensive. A 02/2024 Oregonian article (https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2024/02/oregon-homeowners-face-rising-premiums-or-limited-property-insurance-options-due-to-wildfire-risk.html )  shows that some companies are beginning to think about rewarding homeowners who are Firewise.

WHO CAN I CONTACT TO GET A QUOTE?

If you already have a landscaping company working in your yard, you can always start with them. If you need to cut down a tree or do more extensive work, there are different companies around Bend. You can look for contractors specialized in fuel reduction.