The U.S. Forest Service in Oregon will be getting more than $262 million in federal disaster funding to help with wildfire recovery.
Oregon鈥檚 Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, both Democrats, supported the , which passed in September with more than a billion dollars in funding for recovery efforts after wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes and other natural disasters.
More than a million acres of land across Oregon in 2020, calling attention to the in federal forests to reduce the risk of wildfire.
In a statement, Merkley said the additional wildfire recovery funds announced Wednesday are a direct result of his work as that makes decisions on funding the Forest Service.
鈥淥ver the last three years, Oregon鈥檚 forests and surrounding communities have been devastated by catastrophic wildfires, adversely impacting Oregonians, our lands, wildlife, and waters,鈥� Merkley said. 鈥淭his funding will fill a critical gap in wildfire response and recovery by investing in restoring these landscapes, rebuilding trails and recreational access points, and helping grow a more resilient forest.鈥�
Wyden said in a statement that, 鈥渞estoring forests鈥� resiliency to reduce fire risks鈥� will be a significant part of Oregon鈥檚 recovery from extensive wildfires.
鈥淥regonians know in painful detail how wildfires have ripped a destructive path through our communities statewide in recent years,鈥� Wyden said in a statement. 鈥淚鈥檓 glad these federal funds will help our state recover from these disasters.鈥�
Additionally, the Biden administration recently announced a through forest management actions that would remove flammable material through selective logging and prescribed burning.
The U.S. Forest Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Copyright 2022 Oregon Public Broadcasting. To see more, visit .