Wyden, Merkley Introduce Bills to Double Timber Harvest, Protect Oregon's Treasures And Settle Water Disputes

Statement

Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley reintroduced two bills today that renew their commitment to pass common-sense solutions for decades-old issues facing rural Oregon: creating new timber jobs, and ending long-running disputes over water supplies.

"Oregonians are not going to settle for the status quo stalemate when it comes to timber and natural resources policy, and neither will I," Wyden said. "Rural Oregon communities need jobs, they need certainty and they need the federal government to follow through on its commitments. I won't stop fighting to pass these crucial bills and break the stalemate in rural Oregon."

"Oregon needs improved forest and water policies for our rural communities to thrive, and it's time to move these common-sense solutions forward," said Merkley. "Senator Wyden's O&C bill will increase harvests and improve forest health while increasing protections for some of our most cherished places in Oregon. The Klamath Basin Water Recovery and Economic Restoration Act is the embodiment of major collaboration between stakeholders to resolve long-standing water conflicts in the region, and their ability to come together and build a win-win vision for the future should be a model for how to take on complex and controversial water issues."

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