March 31, 2022 10:50 a.m. 

Senator Ron Wyden and seven western colleagues from both parties are urging the Department of the Interior to allocate a significant portion of funds from the Infrastructure Law toward sagebrush ecosystem restoration in western states.

A release said this will “…boost wildfire mitigation efforts, create jobs and support the economy in Oregon and the West”.

The release said through the legislation, the DOI received $905 million to be broadly distributed across a number of ecosystems for restoration and $200 million for wildfire reduction programs.

The letter said this is “…an historic opportunity to put people to work while helping restore the sagebrush steppe and protect the landscape from wildfires. We encourage you to enact a robust program that will have lasting benefits – both conservation – and employment based – for an entire generation of Americans in the West”.

The letter was led by Senators Jacky Rosen of Nevada and Mike Crapo of Idaho.