August 1, 2022 3:00 a.m.

Oregon’s Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden have announced that they have secured funding for a long list of community projects in the state, in the Fiscal Year 2023 Senate Appropriations bills.

A release said a total of 111 Oregon community-initiated projects were included in the FY23 federal funding bills that will help meet what the lawmakers call, “critical needs in every corner of the state including investing in wildfire and drought resiliency, affordable housing, health care, education and much more, while creating essential services and jobs”.

Merkley is the only Oregon member of Congress from either chamber to serve on the Appropriations Committee since Senator Mark Hatfield.

In Douglas County projects include:

*$2.095 million for Adapt, Inc for the Southwest Oregon Regional Recovery Center

*$355,000 for Douglas County for its radio system upgrade

*$241,000 for Douglas County for an Emergency Mobile Command Center

The release said the projects were spread out among bills produced by the Appropriations subcommittees. The Senate bills next need to be merged with legislation produced by the House of Representatives, a project expected to take place later this year. Merkley and Wyden say they will continue to advocate that the Oregon projects are included in the combined bill.