Resources

Before Wildfire Strikes: A Guide to Improving Wildfire Preparedness and Living with Fire in Hood River County

This guide will help you:

  • Increase the chances that your home survives a wildfire through practical tips for home hardening and creating defensible space.

  • Plan for wildfire on your woodland property by implementing management practices like thinning and fuel breaks.

  • Create an emergency preparedness plan for your family.

  • Prepare for wildfire smoke by monitoring air quality and improving your home’s indoor air.

  • Explore how wildfires have shaped the Hood River landscape and learn about collaborative efforts to improve wildfire resilience in Hood River County.

The peer-reviewed publication is available in both English and Spanish. You can read it online and download a copy here.

Forest Resilience on Private Lands

Natural Resources Conservation Service is currently implementing the Hood River County Forest Resilience Initiative. The initiative focuses on private lands in Hood River County, Oregon and addresses concerns associated with wildfire risk by utilizing a series of practices to improve forest resilience. This initiative has been catalyzed by recent uncharacteristic and catastrophic wildfire events. Although this strategy primarily addresses concerns related to wildfire, objectives are to return systems to their natural structure and composition which will subsequently support ecosystem processes on a holistic level and promote native plant and wildlife species. Learn more here.

East Cascades Oak Partnership

The East Cascades Oak Partnership (ECOP) is a group of people who know and love the Columbia River Gorge and the East Cascades as a place with thriving wildlife, a vibrant economy, and incredible beauty. We recognized the importance of Oregon white oak habitats to our quality of life, to a strong economy, and to the well-being of hundreds of species of plants and wildlife with which we share our home. We are collaborating to leverage resources, share knowledge, and implement conservation strategies that will help protect vulnerable oak habitats, encouraging more sustainable human interactions with these important resources and improving outcomes for people, oaks and wildlife. Learn more here.