Hey Reddit Community! I just wanted to thank all of you for your engagement and many of you for your support.
I am so proud of what I accomplished, the coalition that has been built, and the relationships I’ve made. I will continue to be active in local government. There’s a lot of work to do, and I will continue to hold the current board and the next accountable to you.
Thanks for everything!
Matt Spurlock
Hey Reddit community! It’s too late to vote by mail, you need to drop your ballot off in a ballot drop box now. The postmark rules have changed so if you were to drop your ballot in the regular mail it wouldn’t be back here in time to get counted by May 19th.
There are ballot drop boxes all around Josephine County.
CJ City Building 222 West Lister Street, Cave Junction
County Court House 500 NW 6th Street, Grants Pass
Merlin Ray’s 3500 Merlin Road., Grants Pass
Hidden Valley Market 7200 Williams Highway, Murphy
Washington Fed Bank 290 Union Avenue, Grants Pass
GP Library 200 NW C Street, Grants Pass
I’m Matt Spurlock and I’m running for Josephine County Commissioner.
Last night (5/7/26) I attended a presentation on the new Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) process for Williams and the Applegate, and one thing became very clear:
Planning matters because planning unlocks grant funding.
A strong CWPP gives communities a competitive advantage when applying for wildfire mitigation grants. These plans help identify priority areas, evacuation routes, water supplies, fuel reduction needs, and community vulnerabilities so state and federal agencies know where investments are most needed.
I also learned:
• FireWise participation hours can count as in kind matching funds for grants
• Title III funding can support Firewise communities
• OSFM grants are already helping local residents
• Some homeowners may qualify for up to $2,500 in grant funded wildfire mitigation work if they join a FireWise community
• Additional funding opportunities are tied specifically to properties in the WUI (Wildland Urban Interface)
This is exactly why local government should focus on collaboration, strategic planning, and bringing resources home.
The main way I foresee helping with wildfire and forestry as a commissioner is positioning our communities to compete for outside funding. These projects help keep people safe, lower wildfire risk, protect homes, and strengthen resilience.
The reality is that all of these projects are grant funded. Every presenter talked about grants and responsible forestry. No clearcuts.
I was so happy to hear that Williams is on track to become one of the largest Firewise communities in Oregon, and that should make all of us proud.
The included picture from the presentation shows the importance of restoring the fire cycle in addition to planning.
Please consider joining your local FireWise community! Here is a link for more information.
“Oh the hills may stay green for a decade or two,
But that doesn’t mean it’s the best thing to do.
For when all the trees on a mountainside fall,
The rains come stampeding with mud over all.
The roots used to hold every hillside in place,
Now rivers run brown in a silty disgrace.
Then chemicals sprayed on the brush down below,
Wash into creeks where the young salmon go.
‘Competing vegetation,’ the paperwork said,
But poison is poison when streams end up dead.
And three trees for one sounds quite lovely to hear,
Until every acre is packed tighter each year.
Look at the sticks shoulder to shoulder in rows,
All fighting for sunlight with no room to grow.
And what kind of forest? Well mostly one kind.
A monocrop farm where everything’s pine.
One fire or bug will do more than sting.
Yeah you know that they will destroy the whole thing.
So while it is true that I’m not the Lorax.
We can’t keep pretending clearcuts have no impact.”
By County Commissioner Candidate Matt Spurlock
No more lawsuits, no more recalls! Let’s get it right at the ballot box this time!
MAY DAY RALLY – GRANTS PASS
Our next day of action is on Friday May 1st from 4–7 PM at Riverside Park.
PROTEST – 7th & Park St
Make your voice heard. Be seen. Be counted.
GENERAL STRIKE - This is the first time the national group has promoted a general strike. If you can, call off work and buy nothing on that day.
BUY NOTHING POTLUCK – Trevillian Pavilion
Bring what you can. Share what you have. Build real community.
FOOD DRIVE FOR MINT - Bring canned goods and other shelf stable items to support neighbors in need. Pop-top cans and items that don’t need to be cooked are preferred.
MINT is not a sponsor of this event.
SPEAKERS & ENTERTAINMENT - We are planning to have a few people speak about unions, live music, rock painting, and some field games.
This is what May Day is about:
Standing together. Taking up space. Showing that this community cares.
No gatekeeping. No spectators.
Just people showing up for each other.
Show up. Stand together.