Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Rural Oregon & Natural Resources
Wyden Introduces Bill to Expand Disaster Relief to Fisheries Harmed by Tariffs
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., today introduced legislation to expand disaster relief to fisheries harmed by tariffs. Currently, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) guidelines used to identify the causes of fishery disasters does not explicitly include tariffs. Wyden's bill would amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Act to require NOAA to evaluate the impacts of duties imposed on American seafood, ensuring the Department … Continue Reading
June 26, 2019
Senators Wyden and Markey Lead Colleagues in New Legislation to Protect Rail Safety
Washington (June 26, 2019) - Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today introduced the Safe Freight Act, legislation that would promote rail safety by mandating at least two-person crews on all freight trains in the United States. The bill is designed to correct the Federal Railroad Administration's recent rollback of a proposed rule that would have established these necessary safety standards. The Safe Freight Act will specifically require that all freight trains have … Continue Reading
June 25, 2019
Wyden, Ernst, Bishop, Dingell Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Improve Access to Outdoor Recreation Opportunities
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee Rob Bishop, R-Utah, and Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., today reintroduced legislation in the Senate and House to remove barriers to outdoor recreation and boost rural economies across the country. Their bipartisan Recreation Not Red Tape (RNR) Act would promote access to outdoor recreation opportunities and allow more visitors to get outdoors. The RNR Act would … Continue Reading
June 21, 2019
Wyden, Cortez Masto Introduce Geothermal Energy Opportunities Act
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) this week introduced legislation that would promote the growth of geothermal energy. Wyden and Cortez Masto said their Geothermal Energy Opportunities (GEO) Act would develop stronger public-private geothermal partnerships, reduce barriers to leasing public land for geothermal energy use where certain energy extraction activities are already permitted, and promote the direct development and deployment of … Continue Reading
June 13, 2019
Wyden Presses Forest Service on Misguided Policy Change, Backlog of Wildfire Prevention Projects in Oregon
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today raised serious concerns about a new U.S. Forest Service proposal to gut environmental rules for forest management projects at a time when there's a serious backlog of wildfire prevention work. At a U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources hearing Wyden questioned Forest Service Director of Fire Aviation and Management Shawna Legarza on the agency's decision. A senior member of the Committee, Wyden noted that the changes will … Continue Reading
June 12, 2019
Senators Introduce Legislation to Encourage Innovation, Boost Next-Generation Hydro Power
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Angus King, I-Maine, Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, and Jack Reed, D-R.I., today reintroduced legislation to increase domestic production of low-carbon, renewable energy from the natural power in ocean waves, tides and currents. The Marine Energy Research and Development Act provides federal resources to encourage private investments in renewable energy projects that use the power in oceans to produce electricity. "Americans … Continue Reading
June 12, 2019
Merkley, Wyden Announce $5.6 Million Investment in Lake County Railroad
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced a $5.6 million investment in railroad safety and rehabilitation in Lake County. "This is the kind of significant investment our country needs to be making in infrastructure," Merkley said. "This grant will make railroad crossings safer and improve service reliability-creating jobs and economic opportunity for the entire Lake County region. As I've traveled around the state, I've seen firsthand the need for … Continue Reading
June 10, 2019
Wyden, Merkley Introduce Bill Directing Trump Administration to Meet Paris Climate Agreement Standards
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley have introduced legislation with a group of 44 senators, directing the Trump administration to meet the standards established by the historic Paris Climate Agreement. The legislation - the International Climate Accountability Act - would prevent the president from using funds to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord. Instead, the bill directs the Trump administration to develop a strategic plan for the country to meet its … Continue Reading
June 06, 2019
Merkley, Wyden Introduce Legislation to Help Communities Protect Coastal Shorelines
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden have joined colleagues to introduce the Living Shorelines Act, legislation that would create a new grant program for nature-based shoreline protection projects known as living shorelines. As sea-level rise and coastal storms continue to threaten thousands of coastal communities and economies, investing in living shorelines can help reduce risk from floods and storms and increase the resiliency of Oregon's coast. "Coastal … Continue Reading
June 06, 2019
Wyden Reintroduces Legislation to Bolster Renewable Energy Development, Protect Power Grid from Natural Disasters
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., has reintroduced three pieces of legislation that would make renewable energy more reliable and affordable for consumers by providing federal funding to states to update the power grid and encouraging research and development of new technologies. All three bills also include a provision that protects the privacy of Americans' electric usage information from warrantless government surveillance. "Climate change is not some distant threat in the … Continue Reading
May 23, 2019
Wyden, Crapo, Merkley, Risch Reintroduce Legislation to Provide Long-term Stability for Secure Rural Schools Program
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Jim Risch, R-Idaho, today reintroduced legislation to provide much-needed financial certainty for rural counties to ensure they have the long-term funding needed for schools, road maintenance, law enforcement and other essential services. The bipartisan Forest Management for Rural Stability Act, which the senators first introduced in December 2018, makes the Secure Rural Schools program-which … Continue Reading
May 23, 2019
Wyden, Merkley, Walden Urge Feds to Keep Letting Local Firefighters Battle Blazes on Federal Lands
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and U.S. Rep. Greg Walden urged federal officials today to restore a proven practice that lets the federal government keep using local fire departments as partners to fight wildfires. The three Oregon lawmakers wrote Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Interior Secretary David Bernhardt about their agencies' recent suspension of a practice dating back to 1955 that authorizes local fire departments in Oregon to participate and support … Continue Reading
May 22, 2019
Wyden, Merkley Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Promote Cleaner Transportation Fuel, Healthier Forests
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today introduced bipartisan legislation to allow the use of biomass from certain federal lands needing ecological restoration in the making of renewable fuels to promote healthier forests, more carbon sequestration, cleaner transportation fuels and strong protections for old growth forests. Current law does not allow the use of federal biomass in the making of renewable fuels as defined by the Renewable Fuel Standard. Wyden and … Continue Reading
May 20, 2019
Merkley, Wyden, Bipartisan Senators to Trump Administration: Selling Off BPA Assets Would Increase Rates for Consumers
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden have joined their bipartisan colleagues in opposing a provision in President Trump's Fiscal Year 2020 budget that would auction off the transmission assets of the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and other Power Marketing Administrations (PMAs) through the Department of Energy. In a letter to Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Mick Mulvaney, the senators wrote: "We write to oppose the proposal in the … Continue Reading
May 16, 2019
Wyden, Merkley Welcome Restoration of Full SRS Payments for Counties and Schools
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today welcomed the U.S. Agriculture Department decision to restore full Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program payments for counties and schools. The decision follows Wyden and Merkley's call for the agency to release the more than $14 million in payments after reports that the agency wrongly withheld 6.2 percent of the resources intended for distribution under SRS to Oregon and other states. "When it comes to making sure our roads and … Continue Reading
May 15, 2019
Wyden Continues the Fight to Boost Recreation and Preserve Wildfire Prevention Work in Southwestern Oregon and near Molalla River
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., yesterday highlighted the importance of protecting and enhancing iconic recreation destinations in Southwestern Oregon and on the Molalla River in Clackamas County during a U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee's Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests and Mining hearing on Wyden's Oregon Recreation Enhancement (ORE) Act. Earlier this month, Wyden, who is Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, and Sen. Jeff Merkley, together, introduced … Continue Reading
May 14, 2019
Merkley, Wyden Announce Major Grants for Rural Airports
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced nearly $13 million in grants to support rural airport improvements in North Bend and John Day. In North Bend, $6.6 million will help the Southwest Oregon Regional Airport to construct an aircraft rescue and firefighting building. In John Day, $6.3 million will allow the Grant County Regional Airport to improve runway safety. "Small airports connect rural Oregon to economic opportunity, wildfire fighting … Continue Reading
May 07, 2019
Wyden, Merkley Press Feds to Restore $14 Million in SRS Payments
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today asked the U.S. Agriculture Department to restore recent payments the agency wrongly reduced for schools and counties under the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) Act by more than $14 million. In their letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, the Oregon senators cited reports that the agency withheld 6.2 percent of the resources intended for distribution under SRS to Oregon and other states. "The loss to schools and counties … Continue Reading
May 01, 2019
Wyden, Merkley Introduce Oregon Recreation Enhancement Act
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today introduced legislation that would boost recreation opportunities in Southwestern Oregon and on the Molalla River in Clackamas County while preserving wildfire prevention work in both of those regions. The senators' Oregon Recreation Enhancement (ORE) Act would create the Rogue Canyon Recreation Area and the Molalla Recreation Area, expand the Wild Rogue Wilderness Area, and prohibit destructive mining on pristine rivers in … Continue Reading
April 25, 2019
Wyden, Merkley Join Effort to Preserve Sea Grant Program Funding After Trump Administration Proposed Cuts
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley joined 25 of their Senate colleagues in an effort to preserve funding for the National Sea Grant College Program (Sea Grant) following the Trump administration's proposal to eliminate its funding in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 budget. In a bipartisan letter to U.S. Senators Jerry Moran, R-Kan., and Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Chairman and Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and … Continue Reading
