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WYDEN, SMITH SECURE FUNDS
FOR OREGON NATURAL RESOURCE PROJECTS
More than $9 million will support forest management,
wildlife refuge improvement and other projects
June 10, 2005
Washington, DC – U.S.
Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) today announced
that Oregon could soon receive more than $9 million, and share
in an additional $2.5 million, for natural resource projects across
the state. Wyden and Smith secured this funding as part of the
Senate’s FY2006 Interior funding bill, now approved by the
Senate Appropriations Committee. Included in the bill is funding
for land acquisitions at the Columbia River Gorge and the Upper
Klamath Lake National Wildlife Refuge.
“Oregon’s environmental
and natural resources are some of the most precious in the United
States, and investing in them now will ensure years of enjoyment
and economic growth in the future,” said Wyden. “The
projects funded in this bill will help fishers, farmers and many
rural communities throughout the state.”
“Oregonians appreciate
our state’s natural beauty and believe in a balanced approach
to managing its sustainability,” said Smith. “In that
spirit we’ve prioritized projects that improve resource
management and are sound investments in Oregon’s rural communities.”
Following is a list of Oregon
projects funded by the bill:
• The Fish and Wildlife
Service would receive $6 million for the acquisition of the Barnes
tract property as part of the Upper Klamath Lake National Wildlife
Refuge. The funding would also be used for the restoration of
both the Barnes tract and the Bureau of Reclamation Agency Lake
Ranch, in addition to the construction of a connection between
the parcel of land and the lake, to aid in the water storage for
the Klamath Basin agriculture and wildlife.
• $1.6 million would be
provided for land acquisition by the Bureau of Land Management
on the Sandy River. This would assist in the creation of a free-flowing
river from Mt. Hood to the Columbia River Gorge.
• The Forest Service would
receive $1 million for the Hinkle Creek Paired Watershed study
to investigate the effects of contemporary forestry practices
on water quality, fisheries and aquatic habitat at the scale of
a complete watershed.
• $650,000 would be provided
to the Forest Service to acquire the 640 acre Mendieta tract,
which straddles one mile of the North Fork Owyhee National Wild
and Scenic River. The tract is the only parcel of privately owned
riverfront property within the Owyhee Canyon lands Conservation
area.
The bill also provides additional
funds that Oregon will share with other states:
• $2 million for land
acquisition in the Columbia River Gorge. The Columbia Gorge is
the second most recognized Lewis and Clark attraction in the country.
Oregon will share in these funds with the state of Washington.
• $500,000 for land acquisition
for the Pacific Crest Trail. Oregon will share in these funds
with the California and Washington.
The bill must now be considered
by the full Senate for approval.
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