Press Releases

Risch, Merkley Introduce Bill to Remove Roadblocks for Youth Corps Public Lands Projects

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) introduced legislation to reduce federal cost-sharing requirements for public lands projects performed by qualified youth or conservation corps from 25% to 10%. “Current cost-sharing requirements prevent youth conservation corps from carrying out important public lands projects,” said Risch. “My bill reduces this

Bynum and Merkley Introduce Legislation to Protect the Deschutes River

Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Janelle Bynum (OR-05) and Senator Jeff Merkley introduced the Deschutes River Conservancy Reauthorization Act of 2025. The bill reauthorizes the Deschutes River Conservancy’s (DRC) eligibility to receive federal funding for water quality improvement initiatives and conservation efforts. Since its founding in 1996, the DRC and

Oregon Caves and Devil’s Staircase Protection Bills Pass Energy Committee

Washington, D.C. – Marking another milestone in the fight to protect Oregon’s natural resources for future generations, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) announced that a pair of bills designed to provide protections for two of Oregon’s greatest natural resources have been approved by the Senate Energy

Wyden, DeFazio, Merkley Introduce Chetco River Protection Bills in House and Senate

Washington, D.C. – Seeking to protect the Chetco River from expanded suction dredge mining that threatens salmon and steelhead breeding grounds, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and U.S. Representative Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) introduced bills in both the House and the Senate to permanently raise the federal

Merkley Unveils New Plan to Eliminate America’s Dependence on Overseas Oil

Washington, D.C. – Earlier today, Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released an ambitious plan to eliminate America’s dependence on overseas oil by 2030 (online here).  In a speech before the Center for American Progress, Merkley laid out the national security, economic and health reasons that such a plan is needed to

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