U.S. Senate announces nearly 7.5 million dollars in Secure Rural Schools funding for Eastern Oregon counties
By Garrett Christensen on Tuesday, April 23rd, 2024 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
EASTERN OREGON – The U.S. Senate recently announced that Union, Wallowa, Baker, Grant, and Harney Counties will receive a combined total of $7,496,824.77 in Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act funding. These funds, provided by the U.S. Forest Service, will go to support local schools, road maintenance, job training for youth, wildfire prevention, habitation conservation, and watershed restoration. These funds are part of a larger statewide funding provision, totaling $47.7 million dollars across most of Oregon’s counties. This is also part of an even larger $232 million-dollar nationwide funding effort, of which Oregon is the largest recipient.
The money itself is generated from Forest Service multi-use activities, such as grazing, timber production, and special use permits. Additional funds are also expected from the Bureau of Land Management at a later date. The specific funds going to Eastern Oregon counties are as follows:
- Union: $579,491.73
- Baker: $848,413.48
- Wallowa: $1,082,694.16
- Grant: $3,629,540.07
- Harney: $1,356,685.33
