Natural Resources and Rural Development

The Beaver State was built by Americans who relied on the land for their livelihood. Natural resource industries like farming, forestry, and salmon fishing remain integral to Oregon’s economy today.  Our state has also long been a destination for Americans looking to experience the great outdoors.  Oregon’s protected public lands provide valuable habitats, supply clean water, and generate jobs through sustainable harvests, recreation, and tourism. Preserving our natural resources and making smart decisions about economic development will help spur rural growth and ensure that future generations can enjoy Oregon’s wild places and public lands while putting people to work.

Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Announce Bill to Restore NOAA’s Extreme Weather Database, Keep Americans Informed of Natural Disasters

Bill would reverse the Trump Administration’s reckless decision to terminate database which has recorded cost of natural disasters since 1980 Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have joined Senate colleagues to introduce legislation that would reverse the Trump Administration’s reckless decision to terminate the National

Ranking Members Merkley, Heinrich, Klobuchar, Murray Demand Answers from Forest Service Chief on How Taxpayer Dollars are Being Used to Fund Workforce Reduction Programs

Washington, D.C. –  Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, was joined by Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Martin Heinrich, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Amy

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, Wyden, Bonamici: FEMA Must Award Critical Disaster Mitigation Funds to an Oregon Coast Project

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, as well as U.S. Representative Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), today demanded the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) immediately award Clatsop County and Columbia Memorial Hospital (CMH) $20,845,683 in federal funding that was provided under the Building

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