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 Celebrate SRS Reauthorization for Rural Oregon Counties

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today celebrated the signing of their bipartisan Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act into law, reauthorizing funding for the U.S. Forest Service’s Secure Rural Schools and Self-Determination Program (SRS) through FY 2026 and providing lapsed payments to counties in Oregon and nationwide for FY 2024

ALSOBROOKS, CRAMER, MERKLEY, CURTIS INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO REAUTHORIZE WILDLIFE CROSSINGS PROGRAM

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Senator John Curtis (R-UT) announced legislation reauthorizing the Wildlife Crossings Program. This program at the Federal Highway Administration is a competitive grant program with the goal of reducing Wildlife Vehicle Collisions (WVCs) while improving habitat

Merkley, Marshall Launch New Bipartisan Effort to Unlock Federal Support for Hazardous Cleanup Following Wildfires

Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Kansas’ U.S. Senator Roger Marshall introduced the brand-new Post-Wildfire Environmental Assistance Act. The bipartisan bill provides a straightforward solution for communities in Oregon and across the nation to access federal aid for hazardous material cleanup following a wildfire. “Fighting wildfires

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