Wyden, Smith Announce Funding to Fight Methamphetamine in Oregon
Final appropriations legislation also provides funding for salmon recovery efforts,tsunami warning systems, community development projects
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) today announced that a number of Oregon community-based anti-methamphetamine programs will soon receive Federal funding as part of appropriations legislation to be approved by Congress this week. Additionally, the Pacific Coast Salmon Recovery Fund and oceanic observation research efforts at Oregon State University (OSU) are slated to receive funding. The Federal dollars approved for the projects were included in the combined FY 2006 Commerce/Justice/Science (CJS) funding bill from the Senate and the Science-State-Justice-Commerce funding bill from the House; the legislation will next move to the White House for signature into law. "Getting meth off the streets and out of our communities is going to take concerted effort at all levels of government," said Wyden. "The funding included in this bill supports the kind of local-Federal partnerships that work best to fight the meth epidemic in our state and across the country. At the same time, this legislation also supports Oregon's economy from its coastal communities to eastern Oregon." "Methamphetamine production and addiction is one of the worst crises facing Oregon today," said Smith. "By passing this bill we are providing desperately-needed funds for law enforcement and treatment so we can aggressively target both the supply and demand of this terrible epidemic. In addition, we are directing resources for important economic development and environmental projects throughout the state of Oregon." The local programs to combat methamphetamine that will soon receive funding are: • $450,000 for the Marion County Sheriff's Office's Breaking Meth Addiction Program; • $200,000 for the Lane County Methamphetamine Abatement Initiative; • $100,000 for the Portland Meth Initiative; • $75,000 for the Washington County Drug Court Pilot Program for meth abusers; • $50,000 for the Lincoln County Methamphetamine Initiative. Funding for other Oregon projects includes: • $6.5 million for the Pacific Coast Salmon Recovery Fund; • $500,000 for statewide tsunami readiness efforts, including the installation of warning sirens, particularly focused on high-risk coastal communities; • $500,000 for OSU for the development of the Oregon Coastal Ocean Observing System; • $500,000 for Mobility International USA for the Mobility Exchange Clearinghouse; • $250,000 for the development of the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services' one-stop permitting portal; • $250,000 for the construction of the Fossil Bed Park and the Ancient Lands Field House; • $200,000 for Lane County for construction of the next phase of a Public Safety Emergency Communications system; • $70,000 for the World Affairs Council of Oregon for the International Leadership Training Program; • $50,000 for equipment for the Linn County Sheriff's office's CHILD Project; • $50,000 for technology improvements for the West Linn Police Department; • $25,000 for equipment for the Curry County Sheriff's office's CHILD Project.
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