Merkley, Wyden Announce Nearly $30 Million for Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Investments  

  

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced a total of $30,917,798 in federal funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is coming to Oregon to support Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration (WSFR) projects around the state. Funding is intended to support projects that connect people with nature and conserve fish, wildlife, and their habitats.

“Our state’s lands and waters are integral to the futures of countless fish and wildlife, as well as many Oregonians’ quality of life and livelihoods,” said Merkley. “These federal funds will be used to manage and protect Oregon’s wildlife areas around the state, and to help Oregonians access and enjoy the great outdoors through our outstanding recreation opportunities.”

“Fish and wildlife are part of what makes Oregon the best state in America for recreation,” said Wyden. “That doesn’t happen by osmosis – it happens thanks to significant federal investments like these that support our state’s natural advantages and the benefits they create for our economy and environment.”

The Wildlife Restoration Program—authorized by the Wildlife Restoration (Pittman-Robertson) Act of 1950—provides funds to fish and wildlife agencies for projects to restore, conserve, manage, and enhance wild birds and mammals and their habitat. The Sport Fish Restoration Program—authorized by the Sport Fish Restoration (Dingell-Johnson) Act of 1950—provides funds to fish and wildlife agencies for fishery projects, boating access, and aquatic education. Both programs were reauthorized through the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Merkley and Wyden supported.

Oregon’s allocations can be found below:

  1. $21,783,103 for Wildlife Restoration. The program supports the operation and maintenance of 18 wildlife areas and 7 regional habitat programs which are designed to provide technical assistance and enhance wildlife habitats on public and private lands.
  2. $9,134,695 for Sport Fish Restoration (SFR). The funding supports important fisheries, monitoring, access, and education programs throughout Oregon. SFR funds are also used to keep a finger on the pulse of several of our iconic salmon/steelhead populations, including those in the Rogue, the Oregon Coast, Deschutes, Willamette, and Umpqua.

“These Federal investments, matched with revenue from hunting and fishing licenses, are the foundation of ODFW’s capacity to care for Oregon’s diverse fish and wildlife. Opportunities for win-win solutions that benefit working lands, wildlife, and communities are numerous—and we are grateful for the long-term support of hunters and anglers who have committed millions of dollars to this program for multiple generations. Federal investments like these help us make a real difference for fish and wildlife conservation,” said Debbie Colbert, Director, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

This press release has been updated.


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