Oregon Ecosystem Efforts Get $10M Federal Funding Boost
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s (NFWF) America the Beautiful Challenge has awarded $10,105,326 in federal funding to support four projects that enhance Oregon’s ecosystem conservation and restoration efforts.
America The Beautiful Challenge Funding Award To Oregon’s Ecosystem Projects
Oregon’s US Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced that the funding, part of a larger $122.4 million NFWF America the Beautiful Challenge initiative, will support 61 new conservation and restoration projects nationwide.
The initiative advances President Biden’s ongoing commitment to conserving American lands and waters by supporting locally led community conservation and restoration projects.
The goals of the NFWF projects are to plant trees, restore wetland habitats, improve wildfire resilience, and open streams for fish passage.
61 grants were announced across 42 states, three US territories, and 19 Tribal and Native Nations, and at least $8.7 million in matching contributions will generate, bringing the initiative’s impact on conservation to $131.2 million.
In Oregon, the funding was allocated to:
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife: $4.5 million to create a network of oak and prairie habitat in the Willamette River Basin, incorporating Traditional Ecological Knowledge and improving access for Tribal members to culturally significant areas.
- Crook County Soil and Water Conservation District: $3.5 million to enhance sagebrush ecosystems. The project will benefit desert species like sage-grouse and pronghorn over 13,000 acres, apply herbicide to 7,000 acres of invasive annual grasses, and develop a local native seed supply inventory on over 100,000 acres. The project aims to improve grazing management while reducing the impact on wildlife.
- McKenzie Watershed Alliance: $1.5 million to restore 335 acres of floodplain and wetland habitat on the South Fork McKenzie River, creating a high-quality habitat for at-risk species.
- Heart of Oregon Corps: $605,326 to enhance watershed health and reduce wildfire risk in the Deschutes Basin. The Corps works with conservation projects of local youth crews.
Oregon Ecosystem Projects
The key role of community commitment in conservation efforts was highlighted by Wyden. Merkley, a key role-player in securing the funding, confirmed that the ecosystems, waterways, and wildlife are the lifeblood of the Pacific Northwest.
He said, “We need to do everything we can to protect them as climate chaos threatens permanent habitat loss.”
Wyden also noted that groups and communities across Oregon have stepped up collaborative efforts to strengthen US lands and waters. He said, “I am excited to see how they will use these investments to ensure healthier, more resilient natural resources for generations to come.”