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Washington, D.C. - The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved three of five Oregon requests for Fire Management Assistance Grants (FMAG).  These grants are meant to provide financial assistance to state, local, tribal and territorial governments to help mitigate, manage and control active wildfires on public or private forests or grasslands that threaten to become major.  Three of the governor’s applications for such designation were approved, the Lower Dry Creek Fire near Milton-Freewater, the Awaka Butte Fire near Sisters, and the Grasshopper

WASHINGTON, D.C.– Electricity generated by water is clean, renewable, highly reliable, and once built, extremely cost-effective. In the United States, there are 181 federal hydroelectric projects, and 2,221 non-federal hydroelectric projects. These non-federal hydro-projects generate about 55 gigawatts of reliable power (enough electricity for 40-50 million people). Non-federal hydro-projects are subject to the Federal Power Act and must be issued a license by the federal government to operate. These licenses must be renewed every 30-50 years.

WASHINGTON, D.C.– Congress, last July, included, in the “Working Families Tax Cut Act” (WFTC), fifty billion dollars for “Rural Health Care Transformation”. This fifty billion dollar sum will be distributed over a five year period, to the states, beginning this year. The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is responsible for determining the means of distribution.  Oregon’s 2026 share, $197 million dollars, has just been allocated by the OHA for ultimate use by rural healthcare providers. 

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Congressman Cliff Bentz (OR-02) introduced legislation to grant Crook County, Oregon, a permanent right of way for the construction of a new public access road in Juniper Canyon and convey four Bureau of Land Management parcels to the County for the establishment and maintenance of “fire safe zones”.