releases: https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-secures-inclusion-hermiston-jobs-and-ag-research-bill-public
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-secures-inclusion-hermiston-jobs-and-ag-research-bill-public | Greg Walden secures inclusion of Hermiston jobs and ag research bill in public lands agreement | 2014-12-03 | 2014 | 2014-12 | Republican | House | OR | Greg Walden | W000791 | walden.house.gov | legacy | Greg Walden secures inclusion of Hermiston jobs and ag research bill in public lands agreement House and Senate expected to pass bill into law in coming days WASHINGTON, D.C. As House and Senate leaders introduced a public lands agreement that will be swiftly moved through Congress in the coming days, U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Hood River) has secured inclusion of a bill to boost economic opportunities in Hermiston and allow important agriculture research to continue. The Hermiston Reversionary Lands Act (H.R. 3366) would place the 290 acres of land currently home to Oregon State University's Hermiston Agriculture Research and Experiment Center (HAREC) fully under local control. The bill allows important research to continue and provides flexibility for future economic development in the area. For the full text of the bill click here. This common-sense plan is a win for jobs and farming in eastern Oregon's fastest growing community and the Columbia Basin's strong agriculture economy as a whole. By repealing an antiquated federal rule, this bill provides an opportunity to grow Hermiston's economy while allowing the flexibility needed for valuable, local agriculture research to continue. That's why I worked hard to include it in this agreement, and am pleased to see it is on its way to becoming law, Walden said. Walden's bill passed the House unanimously as a stand-alone bill in May, but the Senate has not held a vote on it. Inclusion in this larger legislative agreement paves the way for it to be passed into law this month. Click here to watch Walden speak about the plan on the House floor in May. In 1954, the 290 acres near Hermiston was conveyed by the federal government to the State of Oregon for the creation of an agricultural experiment station. However, the federal government still holds mineral and reversionary interest in the property. Should any portion of the current research station property no longer be used for agricultural research purposes, the property would return to federal ownership. This antiquated clause creates management challenges for the station and denies the flexibility needed for OSU to generate revenue from portions unsuited for agriculture research. For example, it denies the university the ability to sell the property and relocate the station out beyond city limits to an area better located for agriculture research as needed in the future. The clause also denies the local community the flexibility it needs to build the economy and provide jobs to meet the demands of the growing region. When the bill passed the House in May, local leaders hailed passage. Oregon State University strongly endorses passage of H.R.3366 which will remove the federal reversionary clause on the Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center. This will provide the flexibility needed to ensure that the station can continue to do research in support of the agricultural community, the needs of the city of Hermiston, the region and beyond, now and for generations to come, said Oregon State University President Edward J. Ray at the time. As an agricultural community, we depend on the OSU Hermiston experiment station to have the latest crop research and techniques to remain competitive, support our economy and grow jobs. We appreciate Congressman Walden working with growers here locally to make sure an obscure federal law does not endanger the future of the experiment station and our agricultural economy, said local farmer Bryan Wolfe, Chairman of Hermiston Agricultural Research and Experiment Station Advisory Committee. The reversionary interest that the federal government maintains over the Hermiston experiment station deprives our community and OSU of the flexibility it needs to maximize the value of the property and the research done there. As our city continues to rapidly expand around the station, the reversionary interest stands in the way of future development. We thank Congressman Walden for removing this barrier to economic growth, said Hermiston Mayor David Drotzmann. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |