Resilience is a term that gets thrown around a fair amount. But what does it actually mean to be resilient? To be tough or resourceful? Is it a box you can just check off? Like when you’re doing your taxes: “Are you resilient? Yes or No.” Honestly, I don’t know how I’d answer that…Probably “depends on the day”?
What I can say is that I’ve developed a much better understanding of the meaning
behind the word living and working here in the Applegate. Resilience is woven into the fabric of this place. I don’t think I know anyone who would describe life in the Valley as “easy.” Depending on where you’re located, you could be almost an hour from the nearest hospital. Cell coverage is a hot commodity. When winter weather rolls in, many of these backroads are some of the last places to see a plow. Yet, it almost feels like these are reasons why we choose to live in the Valley. The isolation is part of the charm. It may not be easy living here, but it is worthwhile. What happens when you can’t get out of your steep ice covered driveway and you’re running out of food during a snow storm? You hitch a ride into town with your neighbor. When life gets hard, Applegaters find a way. No, I’m not your high school football coach. Yes, I am trying to make a point. Whatever resilience is…we have it here. That said, if we’ve learned anything from the Upper Applegate Fires, it’s that we’re facing unprecedented danger to our community and the places we love. Both events exposed existing vulnerabilities in the systems we rely on to protect our communities. Emergency alerts only do so much when the power is down and you’re five miles up Humbug Creek. Larger fires are forcing us to move beyond solely on personal grit and the folks who live next door. We need to lean into our community to build resilience on a larger scale here in the Applegate.
Luckily, there are a couple of local organizations who are on the job. These include A
Greater Applegate (AGA), The Applegate Partnership and Watershed Council (APWC), and Firebrand Resiliency Collective (FRC). Each organization is working towards enhancing community preparedness across the Valley. As for AGA, who brought me on last year to do this work, we’re facilitating two important initiatives…
First, we’re working with community leaders to establish safe spaces for Applegaters to
gather in the event of an emergency. We’re terming these spaces “resilience hubs.” They
consist of existing community buildings or gathering spots, such as public libraries and
churches, that aim to host residents in the event of a wildfire. The hope is that community members will not only be able to safely shelter in these hubs, but also receive the most up-to-date information on the emergency and determine their next steps.
Over the last several months, we’ve worked to identify the emergency infrastructure
needs of these sites, like back-up power or air filtration, and have started to train the folks who will be operating them. The task is now to begin to retrofit each building with the needed emergency equipment and work towards opening them up to the Applegate public. You can stay up to date on the process by connecting with AGA online or in-person.
Second, the “All Things Fire Fair.” Our annual community event focused on cultivating
wildfire and community preparedness in the Applegate. The fair brings in experts from across Oregon to present on topics ranging from the use of prescribed fire to homeowners insurance. It also features family-friendly demonstrations and kids activities that offer an interactive perspective on the topics of the day. This year’s fair will take place on Saturday, March 7th from 10am-4pm. We encourage you to join us for an opportunity to engage in community and learn more about what you can do to prepare for fire.
If I can leave you with anything, it’s this… resilience in the Applegate means leaning into community. Given what we’re facing on the wildfire front, it’s imperative that we keep showing up, keep educating ourselves, and keep looking out for each other.
– Tucker Grinnan
