Deschutes County seeks applicants for ‘sweat equity’ bin rentals, to dispose of wildfire fuels
Barney Lerten
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Deschutes County Natural Resources will begin accepting applications for its 2026 Sweat Equity Bin Rental Program on Sunday, Feb. 1.
Officials say the program helps local communities remove fire fuels and improve defensible spaces around homes and other structures by covering the cost of trash bin rentals.
Funds set aside for this year’s program will provide rental services to about 25 communities, the county said Thursday.
Eligibility Criteria:
Applicants must work at a neighborhood or community level to reduce wildfire risk. Individual properties are not eligible.
Preference goes to areas identified as having a high wildfire risk, but other review factors include:
Whether the neighborhood or community is a recognized Firewise USA ™ site or is working towards it
The number and/or size of properties participating
Whether the project’s focus is within the 100 ft. defensible space zone
Previous award of bin rental services: Priority is given to communities that haven’t received funding before, but all are encouraged to apply.
Selected neighborhoods and communities won’t receive funds directly. Instead, Deschutes County will manage bin rental contracts with disposal companies and work directly with communities to mitigate wildfire risks.
Communities that are interested in applying for a bin rental service award are asked to submit an application between Feb. 1 and Feb. 28. Recipients will be notified in early April.
For more information about the Sweat Equity Bin Rental Program, please visit the Natural Resources website.