Oregon Flood and Wildfire Projects Could Get New Life After Court Stops FEMA Funding Freeze

After Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield announced a court victory yesterday preventing the Trump Administration from unlawfully cutting billions in disaster preparedness funding, hope has emerged that key projects cut in April can now be brought back from the dead.

Hope That Oregon Disaster Management Projects Cut After Feds Withdraw Funding Get Back On Track

Earlier this year, the Trump Administration attempted to unlawfully freeze $882 million in funding by shutting down the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) bipartisan Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program.

The BRIC program has provided communities across the nation with resources to fortify their infrastructure against natural disasters for 30 years.

Congress passed a law mandating FEMA to protect communities through four interrelated functions – mitigation, preparation, response, and recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

The BRIC program is the core of FEMA’s mitigation efforts. Yesterday, a coalition of 20 states, including Oregon, won the lawsuit filed on Nov. 4 after Homeland Security put FEMA crisis funding in jeopardy.

AG Rayfield said, “With recent flooding in Oregon and wildfire seasons growing longer, one thing is clear: we can’t wait for disaster to strike before we act.”

The ruling prevents FEMA from terminating the BRIC program and mandates the restoration of critical funds for communities. The ruling positively impacts OEM projects like:

Astoria / Columbia Memorial Hospital tsunami-safe campus

The Astoria Tsunami Vertical Evacuation Refuge Structure (TVERS) Project was planned for the Columbia Memorial Hospital expansion to create a multi-purpose facility that shelters people at an elevated level above tsunami inundation zones.

$817,846 has already been spent, and a local share of $5,955,909 was earmarked earlier. With federal funding of $13,897,122 potentially unlocked, the project looks viable again.

Medford Water Project

The Medford Water Commission Infrastructure Improvements (RVWSRP) was planned to enhance water system resilience to seismic and weather-related threats. $1,875,370 has been spent, and the remaining costs were budgeted to be split between the federal share ($34,806,505) and the local share ($14,516,834).

Grants Pass Treatment Facility Relocation

The City of Grants Pass Water Treatment Plant water treatment plant will be relocated outside flood zones to prevent system failure. The sunk cost is $5,000,000 with a federal share of $50,000,000 planned.

Statewide hazard-mitigation planning work

Updates to the Oregon Department of Land Conservation & Development Natural Hazard Mitigation Plans (NHMP) for the Burns Paiute Tribe, and Columbia and Umatilla Counties, aim to enhance emergency preparedness, response, and recovery efforts while mitigating the future impacts of natural disasters.

The updates anticipated a federal share of $488,653 and a local share of $152,704, with $8,347 already spent on the project.