Wyden pushes water, logging bills

Sen. Ron Wyden moved forward Thursday on his plan to get two top-priority bills — one to implement Klamath Basin water agreements and the other to boost logging in Western Oregon — through the lame-duck session of Congress before Democrats lose their majority in the Senate. The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources endorsed the bills. One would increase logging on the federal O&C lands of Western Oregon that provide revenue to timber counties. It does not include a revival of federal subsidies to struggling timber counties, but Wyden says he remains committed to passing that legislation. The vote was 15-7. “This legislation won’t make everybody happy,” Wyden said, “but after years of working with stake­holders from every side of this complex issue, I’m confident this bill at last will deliver everyone in the O&C counties what they need.” The committee also passed a bill to implement long-stalled agreements to remove dams from the Klamath River to help salmon, give farmers and ranchers predictable water supplies, and restore fish habitat. The vote was 17-5. “If we don’t succeed now, the whole deal may fall apart, which would be a tragedy for the region,” said Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore. “I have conveyed to my Republican colleagues that this is a moment of opportunity that is incredibly important to farmers, ranchers and tribes, and we’ve got to get it done.” Wyden hopes to attach the bills to must-pass legislation and win passage in the Republican-controlled House...more