EUGENE, Ore. – As the Cedar Creek Fire continues to
\nburn at zero percent containment, Senator Jeff Merkley came to the area Friday
\nto discuss fire suppression efforts and more funding for wildfire response.<\/p>\n
His first stop Friday at the Cedar Creek Incident Command
\nPost where he met with fire officials and introduced new legislation to fight
\nfires here in Oregon.<\/p>\n
The Bipartisan Civilian Conservation Center Enhancement Act;
\nit’s a joint effort with Montana Senator Steve Daines. If it passes, students
\nin the Labor Department’s “job corps” program would be able to get
\ntraining in fighting wildland fires.<\/p>\n
“Our hope is to rein in and train an addition 300
\npeople in firefighting profession every year out of the CCC program” said
\nSenator Jeff Merkley.<\/p>\n
Smoke was another topic today as Senator Merkley is pushing
\nforward two bills- to expand smoke studies and to help the community deal with
\nsmoke.<\/p>\n
“One of these bills builds on a pilot project at the
\nUniversity of Oregon that creates a center of excellence to study the issue of
\nsmoke” said Merkley.<\/p>\n
That bill calls to expand that to three additional centers
\nacross the West.<\/p>\n
Senator Merkley says, “The second is a grant program to
\nhelp community deal with the smoke.”<\/p>\n
He wants to ensure people people have access to clean air,
\nby setting up community centers that are prepared to keep smoke out.<\/p>\n
As for the current fight against wildfires across the state,
\nmany wonder will the state run out of money.<\/p>\n
“The answer is no Senator Wyden and I have been pushing
\nfor really robust funding and we still have two billion dollars left for just
\nSept,” Senator Merkley said.<\/p>\n
After this month, Oregon goes into new fiscal year and receives
\nnew funding.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n