Wyden, Merkley Encourage Landscape Investments and Management Flexibility as Oregon Ranchers Deal with Extreme Wildfire Season

Senators urge investments in landscape health and resiliency, science-based efforts for reseeding and recovery, and grazing flexibility for ranchers

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today urged the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to provide additional management flexibility and key investments for a full recovery of the rangelands that have been devastated during recent wildfires in Oregon.

"As these infernos are brought under control and the extent of losses and harm are more fully assessed, there is an opportunity for you to support recovery through your authority to provide ongoing, appropriate grazing flexibility and other management support to affected ranchers," Wyden and Merkley wrote in their letter to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning. "Together, we are calling for the opportunity to work with the DOI during recovery on science-based efforts to reduce the impact of invasives with an eye toward more ecologically healthy and resilient landscapes, including but not limited to appropriate reseeding of native plants and flexible grazing practices."

In their letter, Wyden and Merkley encouraged the federal agencies to put a priority on science-based efforts that build resilient landscapes, including reducing the invasive grasses and noxious weeds that fuel wildfires, providing appropriate grazing flexibility to affected ranchers, and focusing on timely reseeding and recovery provisions on public lands in Eastern Oregon. This letter follows one that the senators wrote to Secretary Haaland urging the Interior Department to support Governor Kotek's emergency authorization request for flexibility in grazing schedules and alternative grazing areas.

For years, Wyden and Merkley have worked closely with ranchers on range restoration as wildfires continuously threaten the health and resiliency of Eastern Oregon landscapes. Wyden introduced the Malheur Community Empowerment for the Owyhee Act, a bill cosponsored by Merkley that would preserve the Owyhee and improve the flexibility of grazing management systems to adapt to conditions on the ground. This bill is the product of numerous conversations with Eastern Oregon ranchers, Tribes, and environmental organizations.

Wyden is also the lead sponsor of the National Prescribed Fire Act, a bill that supports pre-fire season prescribed burns as an essential, science-based strategy to save lives and property and maintain landscape health. Along with Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), Wyden introduced the Operational Flexibility Grazing Management Program Act, a bipartisan bill that supports grazing on federal lands by providing livestock operators with greater flexibility to respond and adapt to changing conditions and emergencies, such as wildfires.

The text of the letter is here.

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