May 25, 2022

Wyden, Merkley: $1.65 Million to Oregon for Ecosystem Restoration

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that Oregon will receive a total of $1.65 million from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for ecosystem restoration projects throughout the state.

“The passage of the once-in-a-generation Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has provided the Bureau of Land Management with the unique opportunity to put people to work in rural Oregon addressing some of our most dire conservation needs,” Wyden said. “Whether restoring sagebrush steppe or conserving habitats for iconic Oregon Coho salmon, these dollars will go toward the protection and restoration of millions of acres of land so that generations of future Oregonians can benefit from its resources and recreation.”

“Most Oregonians will tell you that our forests, coastline, rivers, mountains, high desert and more are what make this state such a special place to live,” said Merkley, Chairman of the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees the Bureau of Land Management. “Climate chaos and human actions are threatening the permanent loss of plants and animals that have defined Oregon, from vulnerable salmon species to the beloved Western Monarch butterfly. These Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds will be used to protect, conserve, and restore Oregon’s critical habitats and ecosystems around the state so it remains the best place in the world for future generations.”

BLM has allocated a total of $26 million through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law supported by Wyden and Merkley for ecosystem restoration, which includes: assessing and eradicating invasive species; restoring recreation sites and making them more resilient from erosion and human-caused damage; reducing hazards and revegetating impacted mine lands; and advancing the national revegetation effort.

The Oregon projects that will receive BLM funding are as follows:

  • Swartz Creek Coho Salmon Habitat Restoration - $95,000
  • Michaels Creek Culvert Replacement and Aquatic Species Passage Project - $40,000
  • Honey Creek Fish Passage and Irrigation Efficiencies - $350,000
  • North Fork John Day Riparian Fence Maintenance - $198,000
  • Smith Creek Culvert Replacement and Aquatic Species Passage Project - $275,000
  • Lost Creek Road Decommissioning and Revegetation - $20,000
  • Mid Coast Aquatic Species Passage Surveys and Culvert Replacement Designs - $504,645
  • Woodward Creek Watershed and Fish Habitat Improvements - $75,000
  • Eradicating Invasive Plants to Support Prairie Restoration in Four Areas of Critical Environmental Concern in Oregon - $70,000
  • Eradicating Invasive Plants Using Integrated Pest Management to Conserve the West Eugene Wetlands in Western Oregon - $25,000

“Putting people to work on restoration efforts on our public lands will be key to help address the effects of a changing climate and long-term drought,” said BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning. “We all rely on healthy, functioning ecosystems that deliver clean air and clean water, support wildlife, sequester carbon, and are less prone to the effects of catastrophic wildfire. These are wise investments for future generations.”

In addition to ecosystem restoration, these BLM funds will go toward restoring orphaned well sites, improving wildland fire fighting, supporting hazardous fuels reduction, and advancing clean energy.