The Illinois Valley Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) has announced the commencement of the Kerby Fuels Reduction Project, which is being funded by the Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) initiative.
This critical effort will address wildfire risk in the northern Illinois Valley by creating an 80-acre strategic wildfire fuels break through thinning, hand-piling and burning activities.
The $113,744 project is a collaboration between the IV SWCD, Grayback Forestry and key partners including the Illinois Valley Watershed Council and the Illinois Valley Fire Resiliency Oversight Group. Work will take place on 14 private properties in the Kerby area, with Grayback Forestry leading the effort.
This initiative is an integral component of the North Illinois Valley Strategic Implementation Area (SIA), spearheaded by the IV SWCD in partnership with the Oregon Department of Agriculture. The SIA will focus on restoration project work in the Kerby and Selma areas over the next four years.
The IV SWCD expresses its gratitude to all project partners and the funding support supplied by the CWDG program. Together, these efforts embody a shared commitment to building wildfire-resilient communities and landscapes in the Illinois Valley.
