Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today a total of $10,105,326 in funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)’s America the Beautiful Challenge for four projects that will boost essential ecosystem conservation and restoration efforts in the state.
“Our delicate ecosystems, waterways, and wildlife are the lifeblood of the Pacific Northwest, and we need to do everything we can to protect them as climate chaos threatens permanent habitat loss,” said Merkley, who secured the federal funding as Chair of the Senate Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee. “Groups and communities across Oregon are stepping up collaborative efforts to help strengthen our lands and waters, and I am excited to see how they will use these investments to ensure healthier, more resilient natural resources for generations to come.”
“Protecting and restoring Oregon’s natural treasures doesn’t happen by osmosis – it happens with community commitment supported by federal investments just like these,” said Wyden. “I’m gratified that America’s most beautiful state bar none has earned these America the Beautiful resources that will help our waterways, watersheds and wildlife to keep thriving while also aiding the fight against wildfires.”
Today’s investments are part of $122.4 million recently awarded by the NFWF’s America the Beautiful Challenge for 61 new voluntary conservation and restoration projects around the country this year, which include work to restore acres of wetland habitat, open streams for fish passage, plant thousands of trees, and improve wildfire resilience.
Details of the projects in Oregon from this major NFWF investment are as follows:
- $4.5 million for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to create a network of 2,171 acres of oak and prairie habitat by restoring 22 protected sites in the Willamette River Basin across Tribal, private, and public lands. The project is expected to develop a stronger local conservation workforce, incorporate Traditional Ecological Knowledge, increase access for Tribal members to culturally significant areas, and increase restoration of Tribal subsistence resources.
- $3.5 million for the Crook County Soil and Water Conservation District on behalf of the Prineville Sage-Grouse Local Implementation Team to enhance core sagebrush ecosystems in Oregon. This restoration work will benefit sage-grouse, pronghorn, and other desert species. Expected activities will include treating over 13,000 acres of encroaching western juniper and applying herbicide to 7,000 acres of invasive annual grasses, developing a local native seed supply inventory on over 100,000 acres, and addressing grazing infrastructure to improve grazing management while reducing impacts on wildlife. The project was developed using a collaborative process that engaged private landowners, conservation groups, and government agencies to prioritize treatments based on ecological and social conditions to maximize the impact of restoration efforts and address threats to sagebrush ecosystems on a landscape scale.
- $1.5 million for the McKenzie Watershed Alliance to restore 335 acres of floodplain and wetland habitat on the South Fork McKenzie River by redistributing sediments and placing more than 7,000 pieces of large woody material. The project is expected to reconnect 240 acres of historic channel-wetland complex, increasing ecosystem resilience to flooding and wildfire, and creating high-quality habitat for at-risk native species, including spring Chinook salmon, bull trout, Pacific lamprey, and northwestern pond turtle.
- $605,326 for Heart of Oregon Corps to enhance watershed health and reduce wildfire risk in the Deschutes Basin through conservation projects completed by local youth crews. The project will engage youth in hands-on restoration work to improve 443 acres of habitat, treat 211 acres for fuels reduction, and restore 12 miles of riparian and instream habitat in the Deschutes National Forest, Ochoco National Forest, and Crooked River National Grassland while providing skills training and career development.
“The Prineville Local Implementation Team is excited to have funding to implement our shared vision of healthy rangelands to support wildlife and rural economies. In a national contest for limited funds, we are thrilled that the funders understood the importance of this fragile and unique landscape. We look forward to working with the Prineville Team to make these lands more resilient in the face of large fires and long droughts,” said Andy Gallagher, District Manager of the Crook County Soil and Water Conservation District.
“The McKenzie Watershed Alliance is overjoyed to accept an $1.5 million funding award from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s America the Beautiful Challenge on behalf of local partners including the Eugene Water & Electric Board, McKenzie River Trust, and the US Forest Service. The funding award will support a large-scale watershed restoration project designed to reconnect 240 acres of floodplain habitat to the South Fork McKenzie River, creating diverse habitat for endangered spring Chinook salmon and other at-risk species. Restoration is planned for 2026 and will expand on two previously implemented restoration projects completed on the South Fork McKenzie River covering an additional 200 acres. The 2026 project is an important step toward restoring natural function and high quality habitat to our local rivers in the Upper Willamette River basin,” said Jared Weybright, Executive Director of the McKenzie Watershed Alliance.
“Local corps provides a “win-win” solution for pressing ecological needs on National Forest System lands and the pressing needs of the emerging workforce. Local youth and young adults are engaged in 21st century workforce training while conserving and protecting beloved habitats in their own backyards. Heart of Oregon Corps is thrilled to partner with the Ochoco and Deschutes National Forests and Crooked River National Grassland with this National Fish and Wildlife Foundation funding—a multi-year effort to protect watersheds and reduce fire risk while training tomorrow’s workforce today,” said Laura Handy, Executive Director of Heart of Oregon Corps.
This press release has been updated.
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