United States Senate Update

Merkley, Wyden Announce $40 Million in Federal Funding to Help Maintain Healthy Pacific Northwest Forests and Support Local Recreation Economies

Investment made possible by the Great American Outdoors Act, legislation championed by Oregon’s senators

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service will invest up to $40 million in projects that will maintain healthy national forests in the Pacific Northwest Region. The funding will also support projects to improve transportation and recreation infrastructure in the forests, which will boost accessibility and help support local economies.

The funding announced today is part of a $285 million investment in America’s National Forests through the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund, which was created last year by the Great American Outdoors Act—legislation introduced and championed by Merkley and Wyden.

“Like so many Oregonians, many of my family’s best memories have been made exploring Oregon’s shores, forests, and deserts,” said Merkley, who serves as the Chair of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that funds the Forest Service and the Great American Outdoors Act. “That’s why I’m fully committed to doing everything I can to ensure that we are good stewards of our natural treasures, and that future generations of fishermen, hikers, hunters, campers, and other outdoor recreationists can make their own memories on our public lands. These investments in the health of our lands and waters and the local communities that rely on them will help make that happen.”

“These investments in Oregon’s natural treasures are especially timely for rural communities reeling from the economic fallout of the public health crisis, and for all Oregonians counting on recreation to take a break in the outdoors, “ Wyden said. “These resources are exactly why I worked last year to pass the Great American Outdoors Act, which is proving itself a blueprint for jobs and preservation of our state’s world-renowned forests, rivers and streams.”

Specific projects in Oregon and Washington that will be supported by this funding include:

• Maintenance and repairs to dozens of pedestrian bridge crossings and more than 1,500 miles of forest trails;
• Capital improvements to improve access and accessibility at visitor centers, historic buildings, and other recreation facilities;
• Projects to improve fish passage and habitat for threatened and endangered salmon and steelhead, as well as other aquatic species;
• Upgrades or replacements of outdated systems for water and waste management; and
• Enhancements to high-priority visitor and recreation corridors, safety improvements to visitor parking areas, and repairs or maintenance to hundreds of miles of forest roads necessary to support access for recreation, timber, and wildland fire response.