Hermiston is one of dozens of Oregon municipalities to receive federal funding for investments to strengthen forest health and wildfire resiliency, protect public lands and the environment, boost important programs for Tribes, and support critical projects for Oregon communities.
Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley announced announced the funding on Thursday.
Hermiston will receive $665,000.
“The city of Hermiston is so thankful to Senators Merkley and Wyden for seeing the critical role that the Regional Water System plays in supplying clean drinking water to more than 20,000 Oregonians and supporting the Pacific Northwest’s power grid,” said Hermiston Mayor Dave Drotzmann. “This cost-effective investment will ensure the resiliency of the system in the face of future power outages,” said Dr. David Drotzmann, Hermiston Mayor.
The federal funding comes through the fiscal year 2025 (FY25) Senate Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, which encompasses funding for the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Indian Education, Indian Health Service (IHS), and several other agencies.
Merkley, chair of the Senate Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, wrote the Interior-Environment bill to include key priorities for Oregon, including $43.7 million for 25 community-initiated projects throughout the state, as well as significant investments to support programs and projects that help support wildfire management and smoke preparedness, permanently raise wildland firefighter pay, build drought resiliency and conservation, and address the water crisis in the Klamath Basin.
The Interior-Environment bill passed the committee with bipartisan support — a key step on the road to becoming law.
“As I hold town halls in each of Oregon’s 36 counties, I hear firsthand from folks about what matters most to them. We need to take on wildfire, smoke, and heat threats; give wildland firefighters a permanent raise; modernize our water infrastructure to ensure the delivery of clean drinking water and sanitary systems; fulfill our trust and treaty responsibilities to Tribes; and protect our state’s iconic public lands and waters,”Merkley said. “The Interior-Environment bill I wrote delivers on these priorities by funding environmental programs, community-initiated projects, and programs supporting Tribal communities that will benefit Oregonians in every corner of the state for years to come.”
Merkley is the only Oregon member of Congress from either chamber since Senator Mark Hatfield to serve on the Appropriations Committee, which is one of the most powerful on Capitol Hill. He joined the committee in 2013 so that Oregon would have a strong voice in decisions about the investments our nation should be making.
