The McAlester City Council voted Tuesday to accept a $5.8 million Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) from the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF) and authorized the mayor to sign all associated documentation.
The grant is part of $250 million allocated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support 158 wildfire prevention projects across 31 states, two territories, and 11 Tribal Nations. McAlester’s award ranks among the top 12% of all recipients and is one of only three projects selected in Oklahoma during the program’s second round.
The McAlester Wildfire Prevention Project aims to implement a long-term, sustainable wildfire mitigation strategy. The plan includes establishing a Wildfire Mitigation Unit, acquiring necessary resources, removing hazardous vegetation and fuel sources, constructing firebreaks, conducting controlled burns, and focusing on public education and community outreach.
Council members also discussed a separate $70,000 bid for the Notice of Award and contract related to the CWDG, but the item was struck from the agenda and will be revisited at a future meeting.