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.

Merkley, Hoyle lead Oregon Delegation, Governor Kotek in Announcing a Secured Five-Year Commitment to State’s Western Wildfire Response 

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and U.S. Representative Val Hoyle—along with U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and U.S. Representatives Earl Blumenauer, Suzanne Bonamici, Andrea Salinas, and Lori Chavez-DeRemer—and Oregon Governor Tina Kotek announce today the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), and Forest Protective

Merkley, Wyden Announce $5 million for Affordable Housing Efforts in Bend

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is awarding the City of Bend a total of $5 million in federal funding to support the city’s efforts to enhance affordable housing accessibility through planning, infrastructure

Merkley, Wyden, Blumenauer, Bonamici, Salinas: Nearly $43 Million Coming to Portland, Warm Springs, and Salem for Critical Transportation Improvements

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with Representatives Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), and Andrea Salinas (OR-06), announced today that the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is awarding nearly $43 million in federal funding from its Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity

Wyden, Merkley Announce $25 Million Expansion to Broadband Technical Assistance Program

Funding from USDA Rural Development Provides Assistance to Rural Communities in Oregon and Across the Nation Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that the federal government is making available $25 million through the broadband technical assistance program to help local organizations, cooperatives and Tribes expand affordable, high-speed

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