Congresswoman Val Hoyle Continues to Champion Rural Fire Protection

Listening to Rural Communities

The Row River Valley Community wishes to thank Congresswoman Val Hoyle for her unwavering support for rural Fire Protection!

From our earliest conversations about creating a permanent fire station, Congresswoman Hoyle and her staff took the time to understand the unique challenges facing our rural community. They listened to our story, asked thoughtful questions, and recognized that protecting a small rural valley is just as important as protecting larger communities.

An Important Milestone

This week we learned that the House Appropriations Committee has recommended $803,000 toward construction of the Row River Valley’s permanent main fire station.

While the recommendation is not yet final and must still complete the federal appropriations process, it represents an important milestone for our community. We are especially grateful that Congresswoman Hoyle requested the full amount needed for our project and worked tirelessly to move it through the House Community Project Funding process.

Investing in Rural Public Safety

Her support has never been about the construction of a single building.

It has been about ensuring that rural communities have access to the emergency services and public safety infrastructure they need to protect lives, property, forests, and watersheds. As communities like ours face increasing wildfire risk, rural emergency response cannot be an afterthought.

We are deeply grateful to Congresswoman Hoyle and to every member of her staff who has helped guide us through this process.

The Work Ahead

This recommendation also marks the beginning of our next chapter.

Federal participation helps establish a foundation for the project, but significant work remains. Construction of the main station will require additional matching funds, private philanthropy, community support, and continued partnerships at every level.

Over the coming months, we will be expanding our fundraising efforts to secure those matching dollars. One important step is strengthening our organization’s long-term fundraising capacity. We are currently working toward engaging Rose City Philanthropy to help us develop a comprehensive fundraising strategy and capital campaign plan, giving us the tools needed to pursue the resources required to complete this project.

Building for the Future

Building a permanent fire station is not something a rural community accomplishes overnight. It takes years of planning, partnerships, persistence, and the confidence of people willing to invest in a community’s future.

The House recommendation is an encouraging step forward. We remain committed to seeing this project through and are grateful to everyone who has helped bring us this far.

To Congresswoman Val Hoyle, thank you for believing that rural communities deserve the same opportunity to build a safer future.