Tax Money Put to Quick Use for Flat Fire-affected Landowners

Last summer, on Aug. 21, Deschutes Soil and Water Conservation District staff delivered a presentation to its board of directors about a potential pilot program to, among other things, aid wildfire-affected landowners. Literally that same day, the Flat Fire broke out near Sisters. It ultimately burned more than 23,000 acres and prompted that pilot program to kick off quickly, rather than on a future to-be-determined date.

“That was wild timing of that presentation,” recalls Erin Kilcullen, district manager for the Deschutes SWCD.

In November 2024, Deschutes County voters narrowly approved a permanent tax rate for the Deschutes Soil and Water Conservation District. In August 2025, less than a year later, the Deschutes SWCD provided critical help, using some of that money for landowners affected by the Flat Fire.

“What was amazing about that funding was that it was available very quickly,” said Amanda Egertson, stewardship director for Deschutes Land Trust, a nonprofit that oversees and cares for approximately 20,000 acres in Central Oregon. The Flat Fire affected nearly 2,000 of the Land Trust’s acres, burning three of its properties to varying degrees, including Aspen Hollow Preserve, Rimrock Ranch and Whychus Canyon Preserve.

Recognizing that there’d be an urgent need for weed management, likely in early fall 2025, but potentially no state or federal funds available for several months, Kilcullen said the Deschutes SWCD board approved the quick rollout of the pilot cost-share program. It offered to cover as much as 75% of landowner’s treatment costs or $150 per acre, whichever was less. The board approved $300,000 for the program that included, among other things, facets of fire-recovery efforts, forest-health resilience, education outreach, and workshops. It also established a collaboration between several agencies to provide expertise and assistance to landowners. The pilot’s funding stems from the increased Deschutes SWCD budget resulting from the passage of measure 9-716 in November 2024 that voters narrowly approved by a margin of 50.8 percent. It enables Deschutes SWCD to levy $0.06 per $1,000 of assessed property value for Deschutes County landowners.

The permanent tax rate raises the Deschutes SWCD budget to approximately $4.3 million annually, Kilcullen said, with $2 million coming from that tax rate annually. In comparison, the district’s budget was approximately $800,000 in 2024-25, she said. Prior to the permanent tax rate, Kilcullen said Deschutes SWCD relied almost entirely on grants (which will continue to account for about $2 million of the new $4.3 million budget). This limited the district’s capacity to quickly help landowners. However, the new tax rate enabled the rapid launch of the pilot program that was crucial to helping landowners stay ahead of fast-spreading invasive grasses that can increase future fire risk and negatively affect wildlife habitat.

Bulldozer tracks, known as “dozer lines”, after fire-suppression efforts on a property outside Sisters during the Flat Fire last August and September. This property used a grass-seed mixture on affected areas. Credit: Deschutes SWCD

Egertson said the Land Trust was one of those landowners facing immediate concerns about those grasses and weeds, particularly at Rimrock Ranch. However, because of the rapid support of the Deschutes SWCD, the Land Trust implemented aerial herbicide treatments at Rimrock Ranch. It’ll further conduct native seeding to help stabilize habitat, prevent erosion and further limit the spread of invasive plants to neighboring lands.

“In the wake of a fire, every landowner that’s impacted is sort of scrambling,” Egertson explained. “You get through the emotional shock of having your land burned, and then you’re looking at it with this lens of ‘OK. What do we need to rehab? What restoration actions do we need to take and what needs to be done right now, versus, you know, what should we tackle next year?’ So, you’re going through a process of assessing, post fire, and then you’re trying to figure out how you’re going to fund it.”

Egertson said that while there are many funding sources available to help landowners affected by wildfire, accessing those funds can be a lengthy process. It can be upward of a year before that money becomes available, she said.

“Sometimes, the timeline does not necessarily align with some actions that need to be taken immediately or that are time-sensitive,” Egertson said. “What if you have dozer (bulldozer) lines on your property, from suppression efforts, that need to be rehabbed and seeded, or you’re concerned about weeds, like a lot of annual grasses, that might be popping up in the wake of a fire and that need to be treated ASAP. The district funds really came in a super critical way because no other funding was immediately available to landowners, and they made the application process for those funds so simple.”

The Deschutes SWCD made the application process as easy as possible for landowners, who had to fill out an online form. Kilcullen said Deschutes SWCD staff then performed site visits to determine how many of those applicants (there were 23 in total) needed weed management. The program ultimately funded 16 projects, covering 590 acres, spending approximately $36,000, Kilcullen said, and provided resources for landowners such as a contact spreadsheet so they’d know what group to reach out to for specific information and assistance.

The program brought together agencies and nonprofit organizations that collaborated to form a post-fire recovery group that provided expertise to landowners. Led by Deschutes SWCD, the collaborative group also included the Oregon Department of Forestry, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Farm Service Agency, the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, Deschutes County, Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District and the Land Trust. This coordination of resources ensures that landowners have a clear place to turn after future fires.

“All of these entities can provide landowners with technical and financial assistance,” Kilcullen said, adding that the various agencies met before rolling out the pilot to determine “who would do what to help landowners.”

That larger group will continue to collaborate and be available to landowners if or when another fire impacts Deschutes County. Until then, the Deschutes SWCD is working diligently to best assuage how to utilize its increased funding, as wildfire prevention and assistance is only a portion of the services it provides. It promotes the “wise use and conservation of Oregon’s natural resources within Deschutes County” and provides leadership, assistance, and information for county landowners. In addition to existing programs, Kilcullen said Deschutes SWCD will look to continue to address natural-resource concerns, such as soil and forest health, and fire-resistance reduction, and might provide future programs dealing with water conservation and community gardens.

“We’re laying groundwork for the district,” Kilcullen said. “We’re creating a new district from the ground up. We want to have concrete, strategic plans about how to put that money on the ground in Deschutes County.”

This article appears in the Source January 29, 2026.