Union County approves $228,087 in emergency and tourism grants

Union County commissioners approved 14 grant applications worth $228,087 at their June 25 meeting, dividing the money between emergency response equipment and visitor-focused promotion. Seven Title III awards totaled $186,357, while seven transient room tax grants totaled $41,730.

The Title III side went entirely to Union County Emergency Services and Union County Search and Rescue, with the county using federal Secure Rural Schools dollars for tools for rural response work in mountains, forests and winter weather. The line items were EM Computers, $8,461; SAR PU Truck, $59,980; SAR Rescue Boat, $28,177; Snowmobile Trailer, $12,150; SAR Radios, $59,790; EOC Trailer, $16,699; and EM Pickup Tires, $1,100. Union County’s April 28 notice opened the package for public comment through June 20, and Title III can pay for search and rescue, other emergency services, training, equipment, wildfire protection planning and broadband-related work, with a required 45-day comment period before funds are used.

On the transient room tax side, commissioners approved seven grants for arts, tourism and community events out of an available $51,000 pool. The awards were Eastern Oregon Film Festival, $18,000, for Bad Day for Bigfoot; Wallowa Mountain Hells Canyon Trails Association, $5,000, for its 2026 Union County trails projects; Friends of the Opera House, $5,495, for its annual advertising budget; Friends of La Grande Main Street, $4,000, for Crazy Days and the La Grande Classic Car Show; Elgin EDGE and the Elgin Chamber of Commerce, $2,235, for the Elgin Holiday Light Project; Union County Chamber of Commerce, $3,500, for Thunder at the Peak; and Union County Museum Society, $3,500, for 2026 event promotions.