Although it’s been a while since City Club held a forum on the topic of wildfire, we all know the thought is never far from our awareness. Some of the worst wildfires in history occurred last year all along the US west coast, causing loss of homes, lives, flora, and fauna.

Our March forum will focus the discussion on the potential adoption of county and city codes to require fire mitigation measures in our building and landscaping practices.  The county is currently considering this very question as are some cities within the county.  A downside to stricter code is the possibility of increased home costs in an area that is already struggling with affordable housing.  While this is very relevant, there has been little discussion about the longer-term socio-economic challenges of post-fire recovery if fire mitigation measures are not adopted.

Moderator:

Ben Gordon: Executive Director, Central Oregon LandWatch

Panelists:

• Kyle Collins: Associate Planner, Deschutes County Community Development
• Hayley Riach: Emergency Services Coordinator – Disaster Recovery, Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office

Read the Deschutes County’s Wildfire Mitigation Advisory Committee final report HERE.