 * “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; And because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.”
—Helen Keller
 This photo from Mount Ashland at sunrise was provided by Sarah Settimo. Have a photo you've taken and want to share with us? Send it to sen.jeffgolden@oregonlegislature.gov with the subject “Photo Reminder.” We’d love to feature them.
Today marks a full month since the most ferocious and destructive local fire in anyone’s memory ripped through the Bear Creek corridor from Ashland to Medford. We can be grateful for the miraculously low number of lost lives, but the other losses suffered by friends and neighbors—of homes, belongings, livelihoods, long-term plans, confidence in the future—are beyond reckoning. We think the acute emergency needs of Almeda victims have been met (if yours haven’t been, let me know at sen.jeffgolden@oregonlegislature.gov). To connect with support resources of all kind, or apply to FEMA for emergency assistance, see the sections below.
Below, too, are links where you can join thousands of Southern Oregonians who are stepping up in all kinds of ways for their neighbors. One is just about to make Rogue Valley Music history: the Wild Relief Music Festival, a 3-day flow of great live concert and livestream performances from tomorrow (Friday) through Sunday, with all proceeds going to wildfire victims. Great inspiring energy, great fun, great artists making it so easy to do what you can do for people who’ve lost so much.
With a month of immediate emergency response under our belt, what comes next? So much needs to be done that it’s hard to know where to start.
A necessary place is clearing the debris. If we didn’t already know the scale of this disaster, consider the estimate that just came in for fire clean-up in Jackson County alone: $186,475,600. Normally FEMA would pay 75% of the cost, leaving the last quarter to state, local and private sources. We’re working with our congressional delegation to push the federal share higher, bringing the cost to property owners as close to zero as possible. PLEASE NOTE: if your home was damaged or destroyed, you might lose the opportunity to recover costs if you start cleaning up or searching for valuables on your own. The general Jackson County information line, 541-776-7338 (available weekdays from 8am to 4pm), can offer you guidance, as well as information about the “right of entry” process that might affect your property.
After that, how do we rebuild? That question is animating a hundred conversations right now. This Oregonian opinion column co-written by a Talent and a Phoenix City Councilor underscores some of the complexities. It’s possible to envision massive redevelopment of the Highway 99 corridor from Ashland to Medford into a more inclusive and sustainable community than we had before. Smart experienced people have already begun talking about how that could happen. The overarching question is how to fund a broad and bold enterprise. In the past we’ve offered incentives for developers to include modest numbers of affordable housing units in their projects, but the challenge is of a different order of magnitude. The combined damage of COVID, west coast wildfires and climate-related disasters in other parts of the country is drawing us to the kind of historical moment America faced in the 1930s. We’ll need fresh thinking, fresh programs, and a fresh attitude of generosity and connection to meet it.
 Last week the Governor created one key forum for this enterprise by naming a Wildfire Economic Recovery Council that includes four state legislators: Pam Marsh and Minority Leader Christine Drazan from the House, and Minority Leader Fred Girod and myself from the Senate. We’ll meet weekly until the end of the year to hammer out the best plan we can for meeting both the near-and longer-term needs of the people and communities that have suffered so much damage.
Planning for two different time frames is a dilemma with no clear answer, with tension between speed and quality. We want to get the thousands of people and hundreds of businesses displaced by the fire back on their feet and secure as soon as possible. At the same time, this disruptive tragedy offers a once-in-a-century opportunity to rectify the problems that an unbalanced economy and dwindling public investment have created over time, a chance to plan and build a south valley community with housing, transportation, employment, school and recreational systems that we could only dream of before. But there’s no way that can happen quickly enough to serve the people desperate for help right now, and to keep them from leaving our communities in order to meet their basic needs. Striking the right balance between recovering quickly and recovering well is bound to be the WERC’s central challenge. I’m glad to be at the table and will keep you posted on what I learn there.
The epic events of 2020 might have knocked this off your radar, but the proposed state constitutional amendment for campaign finance reform—the measure that I guided through the Legislature in 2019, on the issue that moved me to run for the Senate in the first place—is on the ballot that will soon land in your mailbox. Just as the Oregonian did this week, I urge your ‘Yes’ vote on Measure 107. We just can’t make major headway on Oregon’s big challenges until we rid state politics of big head-turning checks from donors with legislative agendas.
Speaking of voting... we’re almost there. The deadline to register for the November 3 election is this Tuesday, October 13. The link to registration, and guidance if your home address has been disrupted, are in this short notice from the Secretary of State.
You are voting, right? Think of it as the bare minimum of doing what you can do. Best,
 Senator Jeff Golden, Oregon Senate District 3
- If you have general questions regarding resources or need help finding resources, call the Jackson County communications line, 541-776-7338.
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Jackson County Emergency Management's page has a list of shelter and community resource information.
 The Governor's office created this page for wildfire resources. This page will continue to be updated with additional resources.
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FEMA created this page dedicated to the Oregon wildfires. The page is full of information and resources for those impacted. |
How to register:
- Register through the FEMA website.
- Call FEMA: 1-800-621-3362
- Download the FEMA Mobile App.
Denied FEMA application:
- If you were affected by the fires, applied for FEMA assistance, and were denied or deemed ineligible, it is important to follow the process and appeal that decision. FEMA has a document regarding why you may have been found ineligible in both English and Spanish.
FEMA opened an External Outreach Center for in person assistance at old Central High School. You will be able to get information about your application, ask questions about letters you've receive from FEMA, and have your documents scanned into their case file. The center is open from 8am-6pm every day of the week.
Click the photo for more information.
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Jackson County Library Services has gently used books and toys that families can pick up at the Ashland, Central Point, Medford, Jacksonville, and White City branches during library hours.
- The MRG Foundation has established the Rogue Valley Relief Fund. MRG has a solid track record for getting resources to people who most need them in smart, efficient ways.
- United Way of Jackson County has set up a Fire Relief Fund for those who would like to donate.
- Unete, an organization centered around supporting farm workers and immigrant families has established the Immigrant Fire Relief Fund to aid those impacted by the fire with rent/utilities and food.
- Rogue Food Unites is doing great work coordinating disaster relief meals for all three meals. Visit their website if you would like to donate or if you are a restaurant owner that would like to participate.
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Governor Brown's website has specific and general information about COVID-19 and Oregon's reopening.
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This OHA page is dedicated to information on COVID-19 with links to the latest announcements, guidance etc.
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