{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases/oregon-delegation-pushes-usda-disaster-declaration-more-federal-resources", "Oregon Delegation Pushes for USDA Disaster Declaration, More Federal Resources to Respond to Oregon Wildfires", "2024-08-02", "2024", "2024-08", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Suzanne Bonamici", "B001278", "bonamici.house.gov", "bonamici", "https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Oregon\u2019s entire Congressional delegation\u2014U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, alongside U.S. Representatives Earl Blumenauer, Suzanne Bonamici, Val Hoyle, Andrea Salinas, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, and Cliff Bentz\u2014sent a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack urging approval of Oregon Governor Tina Kotek\u2019s request for a disaster declaration for Oregon counties facing devastating wildfires. The lawmakers also strongly support the Governor\u2019s additional requests for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to open up more federal resources targeted to support impacted agricultural communities throughout the state.\n\n\u201cAs climate chaos continues to worsen \u2013 turning fire seasons into fire years that see millions of acres scorched and countless lives forever changed \u2013 we must make sure communities can access the federal resources they need to equitably recover from these increasingly devastating fires,\u201d wrote the lawmakers.\n\nOregon\u2019s wildfire season has already decimated communities throughout Eastern Oregon, as the state deals with five confirmed \u201cmegafires\u201d \u2013 the Durkee, Cow Valley, Falls, Lone Rock, and Monkey Creek fires \u2013 that have all started in July alone. With approximately 112 fires currently burning across Oregon that have scorched over 1.2 million acres, it is imperative that the USDA continues to build upon the partnerships, collaboration, and respect between the agency fire crews, community leaders, as well as staff and volunteers, as this fire season progresses.\n\n\u201cHowever, as thick smoke blankets communities and creates hazardous conditions for thousands, our first responders brave these perils and continue to protect and serve their communities,\u201d continued the lawmakers. \u201cTheir tireless work battling these fires has helped save countless lives. Moreover, Rangeland Fire Protection Associations (RFPAs) have displayed commendable efforts during this trying time \u2013 helping protect their neighbors\u2019 lives and livelihoods to the risk of their own.\u201d\n\nThe Oregon delegation is pushing to bring more federal support for these heroes and the agricultural communities they are protecting by backing all three of Governor Kotek\u2019s requests to the USDA:\n\nIssue Secretarial Disaster Designations for Baker, Coos, Crook, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Hood River, Jackson, Jefferson, Klamath, Lake, Lane, Linn, Malheur, Morrow, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco, and Wheeler counties\u2014with the opportunity to add additional counties as the wildfire season continues to worsen.\n\nGrant emergency use authorizations for alternative grazing areas and flexibility in grazing schedules for Oregon\u2019s livestock ranchers. This will help accommodate recovery across National Forest System lands.\n\nGrant emergency waivers for the use of non-certified weed-free forage, such as local forage, should resources necessary for soil stabilization and livestock feeding become strained.\n\nThe lawmakers also support the Governor\u2019s calls for expedited relief for Oregon\u2019s agricultural communities though several USDA programs, including the Emergency Conservation Program, Emergency Assistance for Livestock Program, Farm Storage Facility Loan Program, and Emergency Watershed Protection Program, among many others. These additional federal resources are essential, as there are still several more weeks of a severe wildfire season ahead. Current fires are expected to grow, and new fires are likely to start with no significant precipitation forecasted. Drought intensity is projected to increase throughout the state, elevating the risk that more lightning strikes, as well as human caused ignitions, will spark additional fires.\n\n\u201cGiven the harm these fires have caused to both the physical and social infrastructure throughout Oregon, we urge you and your department to ensure the State, Local, and Tribal governments have all the resources they need to help Oregonians recover from these deadly fires,\u201d concluded the lawmakers.\n\nThe full text of the Oregon delegation\u2019s letter can be found here and below:\n\nDear Secretary Vilsack,\n\nWe urge you to grant Governor Tina Kotek\u2019s formal requests for multiple USDA Secretarial disaster declarations for areas of Oregon that have already experienced extreme losses this fire season. We strongly advise your department to work with the Governor\u2019s office to ensure State, Local, and Tribal governments have access to all the federal resources available to respond to these deadly fires.\n\nThis wildfire season has already decimated communities throughout Eastern Oregon, as our state deals with five confirmed \u201cmegafires\u201d \u2013 the Durkee, Cow Valley, Falls, Lone Rock, and Monkey Creek fires \u2013 that have all started in July alone. With approximately 113 fires currently burning across Oregon that have scorched over 1.2 million acres, it is imperative that your department continues to build upon the partnerships, collaboration, and respect between the agency fire crews, community leaders, as well as staff and volunteers, as this fire season progresses.\n\nHowever, as thick smoke blankets communities and creates hazardous conditions for thousands, our first responders brave these perils and continue to protect and serve their communities. Their tireless work battling these fires has helped save countless lives. Moreover, Rangeland Fire Protection Associations (RFPAs) have displayed commendable efforts during this trying time \u2013 helping protect their neighbors\u2019 lives and livelihoods to the risk of their own.\n\nAs climate chaos continues to worsen \u2013 turning fire seasons into fire years that see millions of acres scorched and countless lives forever changed \u2013 we must make sure communities can access the federal resources they need to equitably recover from these increasingly devastating fires.\n\nThere are still several more weeks of a severe wildfire season ahead of us. Current fires are expected to grow, and new fires are likely to start with no significant precipitation forecasted. Drought intensity is projected to increase throughout the state, elevating the risk that more lightning strikes, as well as human caused ignitions, will spark additional fires.\n\nGiven the harm these fires have caused to both the physical and social infrastructure throughout Oregon, we urge you and your department to ensure the State, Local, and Tribal governments have all the resources they need to help Oregonians recover from these deadly fires.\n\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:36:13Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases/oregon-delegation-pushes-usda-disaster-declaration-more-federal-resources"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.590910065919161, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}