Agriculture

Agriculture has long been a staple of Oregon’s economy, providing the nation and the world with a wide variety of products including onions, wheat, and cattle from Eastern Oregon; salmon and cranberries from the Oregon Coast; berries, hazelnuts, and nursery products from Willamette Valley; and pears and apples from the Columbia Gorge.  Our state’s farms provide good jobs and drive the rural economy.

Dexter Leads Oregon Lawmakers in Standing Up for Wildfire Response and Research

Oregon lawmakers warn USDA plan would weaken wildfire response, disrupt critical research, and jeopardize 246 local jobs.   WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Maxine Dexter (OR-03) today led a letter with Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, and Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Andrea Salinas (OR-06) and Janelle Bynum (OR-05) that

Merkley Pushes to Protect Soil, Water Sources Used in Farming from Microplastics

Washington, D.C. – To close out his push throughout July to tackle the plastic pollution crisis, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley today reintroduced his Research for Healthy Soils Act. This legislation would unlock federal funding at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service to conduct research on microplastics in biosolids and help us better understand their potential impacts

Merkley, Sheehy Unveil New Bipartisan Effort to Boost Rural Economies, Wildfire Resiliency

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Montana’s U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy today introduced the bipartisan Supporting American Wood and Mill Infrastructure with Loans for Longevity (SAWMILL) Act. The brand-new legislation supports mills in Oregon, Montana, and across the nation by unlocking federal dollars to support mills retooling or

Merkley, Hoyle Fight Back Against Trump Funding Cuts with Renewed Effort to Reduce Wildfire Risk, Boost Economic Opportunities in Forest-Dependent Communities

Washington, D.C. – As the Trump Administration illegally cuts and withholds funding for wildfire mitigation projects, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and U.S. Representative Val Hoyle (OR-04) teamed up to introduce the Wildfire Resilient Communities Act in Congress. This legislation would provide dedicated federal support to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires in Oregon and across the West, while

Merkley, Murray, Heinrich, Klobuchar Demand Immediate Halt to Forest Service Reorganization, Funding Cuts

Washington, D.C. – Senate Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

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