Wasco County to seek federal help for Grasshopper Fire recovery, forest work at Wednesday Meeting
Fire Crews working the Grasshopper Fire this in August.
The Dalles, Ore., Oct. 6, 2026 — The Wasco County Board of Commissioners will ask federal officials for help recovering from the Grasshopper Fire while pressing the U.S. Forest Service to move faster on forest restoration projects that survived the blaze.
The two letters scheduled for consideration Wednesday put the county's post-fire needs at nearly every level of the recovery effort: drinking water, irrigation, roads, public access, forest restoration and future wildfire risk.
The Grasshopper Fire burned more than 93,000 acres and destroyed several homes and negatively impacted drinking water source areas, irrigation infrastructure, public access and years of forest restoration work, according to the county packet. A preliminary Mt. Hood National Forest assessment puts the cost of recovery on federal lands alone at nearly $50 million.
The commission meets at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, at 401 E. Third St. in The Dalles. The meeting also will be available virtually through the county's Zoom connection listed in the agenda.
Grasshopper recovery: water, roads and unfinished forest work
The most immediate concern outlined in the county's proposed letter to Forest Supervisor Meta Loftsgaarden is protecting water supplies.
The county wants the Forest Service to assess and mitigate post-fire hazards affecting The Dalles Watershed, Badger Improvement District and Rock Creek District Improvement Company. The letter specifically identifies threats from erosion, debris flows, sediment, hazard trees and damaged infrastructure. 10.07.2026 Board Packet
The congressional funding request puts the potential agricultural impact in sharper terms.
Badger Improvement District serves more than 40 water users and approximately 3,600 acres of irrigated farmland. Rock Creek District Improvement Company depends on Rock Creek and Three Mile Creek for about two-thirds of its irrigation water. The county says damage along Highland Ditch and near Badger Lake has created urgent needs for hazard-tree removal, maintenance access and infrastructure improvements. 10.07.2026 Board Packet
Road access is another major piece of the recovery. The county estimates approximately 135 miles of roads were affected by the fire. It wants the Forest Service to develop a prioritized recovery plan covering hazard-tree removal, road and culvert repairs and drainage improvements.
The county specifically wants routes serving water infrastructure, emergency response, campgrounds and heavily used recreation areas reopened first. 10.07.2026 Board Packet
But the county's letters also make a larger argument: recovery from the fire should not stop work on forests that did not burn.
Five projects developed through the Wasco County Forest Collaborative had portions within the Grasshopper Fire perimeter. The county says those projects represent more than a decade of collaborative planning and public investment. Some areas had been planned and cleared for forest treatments but had not yet been treated when the fire arrived.
The county is asking the Forest Service to reassess projects affected by the fire while accelerating remaining "green" projects — forest treatments in areas that escaped the fire. The proposed letter calls for using available authorities and partnerships, including the Good Neighbor Authority and cooperation with the Oregon Department of Forestry, to increase capacity for project planning and implementation. 10.07.2026 Board Packet
The congressional letter asks U.S. Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden and Rep. Cliff Bentz to help secure disaster supplemental appropriations for recovery on federal, state and private lands. It does not identify a specific dollar amount the county is requesting from Congress. 10.07.2026 Board Packet
That distinction matters: the nearly $50 million figure in the packet is a preliminary estimate for recovery on federal lands, not a request for $50 million from Congress.
Fire survivors face another phase: rebuilding in the Gorge
File Photo Sept. 18, 2025 — JJ Castro and his crew poured new stemwall foundation to rebuild his home in the 5,000-block of the Mosier-The Dalles Highway in Rowena after the fire. His was the first to get rebuilt.
The board also will receive an update on post-fire rebuilding in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, including the Burdoin and Rowena fires.
A Wasco County Planning presentation dated Sept. 8 outlines how a management-plan amendment created an expedited review path for replacement homes and other structures. It also allows landowners to place recreational vehicles and temporary storage structures for temporary use.
For the 2025 Burdoin Fire, as of Sept. 1:
Four replacement structures had been approved and were under construction or completed.
Thirteen approved structures had not yet begun construction.
Five applications were under public notice.
One application was undergoing completeness review.
Three projects were in the pre-application process.
Of the 17 approved replacement structures, seven were single-family homes and 10 were agricultural or accessory buildings. About half of the approved residential rebuilds were reviewed as like-for-like replacements, while the others required full review because of changes such as larger homes or additional structures.
The Rowena recovery effort had 16 development permits approved as of Sept. 9, with an average review time of 70 days. The county also reported three temporary RV or accessory structures, 12 development-services appointments and more than 17 individual pre-application appointments.
The planning presentation identifies some of the continuing difficulties: balancing fire safety with visual requirements, rebuilding infrastructure on small lots under newer standards, septic replacement costs and location problems, and the amount of staff time required to help residents navigate the process.
The board also will review an updated Building in the National Scenic Area Handbook. The update adds full-color graphics, landscape-setting descriptions, guidance on defensible space and fire-resistant building materials and vegetation, and examples of site and grading plans. 10.07.2026 Board Packet
One important distinction: the packet describes the handbook as guidance for applicants and planners, including recommended lists of materials and vegetation. It should not be characterized as a new set of regulations.
Other items on Wednesday's agenda
Gorge Recovery Center vehicle — Commissioners will consider shifting $37,466 in existing opioid-settlement funding to purchase a passenger van for recovery-focused transportation, harm reduction, treatment connections and outreach. The packet says transportation is a significant barrier to accessing recovery services in rural Wasco County. No new money is requested.
Community Wildfire Defense Grant equipment — The county will consider leasing a county-owned dump trailer to the Wasco County Soil and Water Conservation District for $0 per year in recognition of its wildfire-mitigation benefit. The SWCD would assume day-to-day control, maintenance and significant liability responsibilities while the county retains priority access for wildfire mitigation and emergency response.
MCEDD update — Mid-Columbia Economic Development District will report on business lending, economic development and regional transportation work. MCEDD reports 339 business loans totaling more than $24.6 million since its lending program began in 1969s, with about 2,700 jobs created or retained.
Oregon Local Government Intermediate Fund — Commissioners will acknowledge information required to establish an account with the Oregon Local Government Intermediate Fund. The Fund is a pooled investment vehicle managed by the Oregon State Treasury that allows eligible local governments to invest public funds over a 3- to 5-year time horizon. The information comes after Commissioners recently approved an endowment fund to capitalize on $15 million in Google fees initially.
Property Value Appeals Board — Commissioners will consider appointing Ian Chandler and Michael Springston to terms running through June 30, 2028.
