VALE – North Powder rancher Curtis Martin was frustrated.
Sitting in a crowd of ranchers and residents Wednesday, Sept. 18, Martin wanted to know when, or if, help from the state and federal government would be available for ranchers hammered by summer wildfires.
“There is no sense of emergency when it comes to our rural communities,” he said.
Martin was addressing 15 state and federal officials at a special town hall meeting held at the Malheur Education Service District offices in Vale. The session attracted more than 40 people focused on recovery and relief efforts from the Cow Valley and Durkee megafires that erupted in July.
The Cow Valley fire scorched more than 200 square miles of Malheur County while the Durkee Fire burned more than 200,000 acres in Baker and Malheur counties.
The session was sponsored by Malheur County and included representatives from U.S. Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden along with individuals from the Oregon State University Extension Service, the Farm Service Agency, the Malheur Rangeland Partnership, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and Oregon Emergency Management.
The president of the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association, Matt McElligott, also attended the session.
The aim was to connect area ranchers with federal and state agencies that could help as they deal with the damage from the fires.
“It was bringing all the right people together in the same room with the folks that need them and get some answers to the questions they had,” said Lt. Rich Harriman, Malheur County Emergency Services director. Martin, who grew up in Vale and now runs cattle on large swath of rangeland in Malheur County, praised the willingness of federal and state officials to attend the meeting.
Yet he had a hard time containing his frustration regarding the speed of federal and state help.
“If this had been a hurricane, FEMA would have been here in two days. It is like we don’t count,” he said.
Kathleen Cathey, the field representative for Wyden, told Martin his “message was received.”
Cathey said the two senators’ offices were working hard to find solutions for ranchers.
“We have done as much as possible pushing on agencies,” she said.
Cathey said the number of wildfires was a challenge.
“If it had stayed with Cow Valley we could have moved faster but it was most of eastern Oregon that was on fire,” she said.
Several agency representatives briefed the crowd on programs they offer to help ranchers. The help ranges from loans to grants, and other initiatives for rangeland ecosystems and water restoration.
Ranchers also asked about reseeding rangeland, and the risk invasive weeds such as Medusahead pose to grazing allotments scorched by fire.
A key theme was while there are grant and loan programs available, it will take time to access them.
Representatives from D&B Supply told the group that the corporation planned to offer discounts on fencing for ranchers hit hard by the wildfires.
One rancher told officials the way fires are fought needs to change.
“We got (fire) support too late,” said Tommy McElroy, who ranches north of Vale.
Another rancher suggested there should be a way for Rangeland Fire Protection Associations – organizations made up of local ranchers – to use public funds if state or federal fire help doesn’t arrive promptly.
After the meeting, Martin said a long-term solution regarding how to fight fires and then manage their impact must be found.
“We have to form some type of solution-oriented group. Because emergency response to rural communities is just not there,” he said.
Martin said a task force of state and federal agencies and local ranchers could help overcome “stumbling blocks.”
“We need a work group to have these discussions, and we have to find a way to get to the policy makers,” he said.
Ron Jacobs, Malheur County commissioner, who helped spearhead the meeting said he felt the session was informative.
“We are just frustrated because there is no funding available immediately,” he said.
Harriman said there was “no pivotal moment where everyone said this is the answer.”
“But we might have made a few moves in the right direction,” he said.
News tip? Contact reporter Pat Caldwell at [email protected]
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