The carbon pollution in our atmosphere from burning fossil fuels like oil and coal is waging a direct and unchecked assault on our farming, fishing and forests – the cornerstones of Oregon’s rural economy.
When Jeff was young, his dad worked as a millwright. He spent his childhood in Southern Oregon timber communities, where timber jobs were what put food on the table and kept roofs over folks’ head. Fires and insect infestations are already killing trees at alarming rates across the Northwest, and climate change will only make these threats to our forests worse. Other iconic Oregon industries like our coastal oyster hatcheries are threatened by ocean acidification, and fishing and farming alike are facing threats from declining snowpacks and increased drought.
Congress needs to wake up. Climate change is real, and it’s bad for our economy and jobs, especially in rural Oregon and the places that most depend on our abundant natural resources.
Wyden, Merkley Announce $1.9 Million to Promote Sustainable Forest Health for Small-Acreage Forest Landowners
Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced a federal investment of $1.9 million for the Bonneville Environmental Foundation to connect underserved and small acreage forest landowners to emerging carbon markets that provide incentives to improve forest management, including reforestation and other sustainable practices, for a healthier climate.
Oregon Delegation Celebrates Almost $120 Million to Supercharge EV Charging Infrastructure Across West Coast
Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with U.S. Representatives Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Val Hoyle (OR-04), and Andrea Salinas (OR-06), announced today that nearly $120 million in federal funding is coming to the West Coast including Oregon to boost electric vehicle (EV)
Merkley, Wyden: CRITFC Poised to Receive $794,000 for Salmon Recovery Work in the Columbia River Estuary
Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) is set to receive a $794,000 federal grant from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to support their salmon recovery work and strengthen underserved communities impacted by
Merkley, Wyden Announce Federal Funding for the Klamath Tribes’ Efforts to Curb Pollution
Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced the Klamath Tribes received $545,000 for programs that improve water and air quality and reduce pollution. The investment is an initial award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address environmental and public health concerns. “Tribal
Wyden, Merkley Announce $7.8 Million Investment in Oregon Schools
School facilities in Grant, Jefferson, Douglas, Josephine, Douglas and Tillamook counties earn federal energy investments Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced a $7.8 million investment in rural Oregon school districts to support energy improvement projects like new heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, lighting upgrades, alternative
Merkley, Wyden Welcome $400 Million to Combat Historic Western Drought
USDA’s New Water Savings Commodity Program Follows Call from Oregon, Colorado, New Mexico, California, Arizona, Nevada, & Montana Lawmakers in April Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden welcomed the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) announcement of $400 million to address drought through investments at the