{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-wyden-secure-federal-funding-to-expand-pollinator-habitat-along-oregon-highways", "Merkley, Wyden Secure Federal Funding to Expand Pollinator Habitat Along Oregon Highways", "2026-08-18", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", "wyden", "https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 Today, Oregon\u2019s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced $150,000 in federal funds for the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to create and restore pollinator habitats along Oregon highways. The funding, which is the maximum award under the Federal Highway Administration\u2019s Pollinator-Friendly Practices on Roadsides and Highway Rights-of-Way Program (also known as the Roadside Pollinator Program), will allow native seed mixes and adjusted mowing practices to improve roadside pollinator habitats.\n\n\u201cPollinators need healthy habitats to survive and benefit Oregon\u2019s farms, forests, and natural landscapes,\u201d said Merkley. \u201cThis project is a great example of how we can make our roadsides work even better for Oregon, creating habitat for iconic species such as the Western Monarch and native bees while building greater resilience to drought. I\u2019ll keep pushing for federal investments that strengthen our communities and ecosystems.\u201d\n\n\u201cBees and butterflies will all benefit from this fresh federal investment in pollinator health that\u2019s a key to fighting drought and supporting landscapes native to Oregon,\u201d said Wyden. \u201cI very much look forward as I travel our state\u2019s highways all over Oregon to witnessing the results of this innovative effort.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis sort of project delivers so many benefits,\u201d said Chris Warner, Interim ODOT Director. \u201cWe\u2019re creating healthier habitat for pollinators like native bees and Monarch butterflies, while increasing drought and fire resiliency, all while reducing the long-term need for pesticide use to control weeds. This work serves as an example of how our transportation system can work for people, the environment and the communities we serve.\u201d\n\nFor years, Merkley has led the charge to revive the populations of monarchs and other pollinators. He leads the bipartisan Roadside Pollinator Program Amendments Act, which builds upon the success of his bipartisan Monarch and Pollinator Highway Act that was signed into law as a part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and created the Roadside Pollinator Program.\n\nMerkley also wrote the Monarch Action, Recovery, and Conservation of Habitat (MONARCH) Act\u2014which is cosponsored by Wyden\u2014to help prevent the extinction of the Western Monarch butterfly and other critically important pollinators. Previously, Merkley hosted two Monarch Butterfly Summits, in partnership with the U.S. Department of the Interior, the first of which announced a $1 million investment in the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Pollinator Fund and established a Pollinator Conservation Center at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. As former Chair of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that funds the Interior Department, Merkley has secured more than $18 million in dedicated funding for monarch and pollinator conservation.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-19T05:29:02Z", "2026-08-19T05:30:24Z"]], "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://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-wyden-secure-federal-funding-to-expand-pollinator-habitat-along-oregon-highways"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5863520093262196, "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"}