A little over a week ago, Oregon was on the verge of celebrating new Wilderness designations with the inclusion of the Oregon Wildlands Act in a proposed budget deal in Congress. Unfortunately, last minute objections from Congressman Greg Walden and a late-night tantrum by anti-public lands Senator Mike Lee stopped the bill just short of the finish line.
The good news is Congress committed to a vote on a public lands package again in January (once the government is back up and running again, of course). Now, we have less than a month to make new Oregon Wilderness a reality.
Over the next week, there are great opportunities to encourage Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley to secure these vital protections for the Wild Rogue and Devil's Staircase at one of their town hall meetings near you! (See below for the full list.)
Efforts to protect the Wild Rogue and other rivers included in the Wildlands Act have been in the works for decades, and we need your help to support them. A broad coalition supports the Rogue River including anglers, salmon advocates, recreation enthusiasts, and businesses like NW Rafting that depend on a healthy river. Check out our quick guide to town halls and talking points sheet, and learn more about this incredible opportunity to preserve Oregon’s natural heritage.
While Senator Wyden has been leading the charge in recent months, Congressman DeFazio, Senator Merkley and others in the Oregon delegation have been fighting to protect the Wild Rogue and other spectacular places for the past decade. They need your support to finalize protections for these Oregon treasures, especially while Rep. Greg Walden is trying to block the 58,000 acres of old-growth forest and wild salmon streams of the spectacular Wild Rogue from being protected as Wilderness.
If you attend the town hall, send us your pictures and videos of the Senator answering questions about the environment and public lands and we'll enter you in a drawing for a free Oregon Wild hat!
Want to learn more about the Oregon Wildlands Act and how you can help push it over the finish line? Attend our Portland presentation January 3!
Senator Jeff Merkley Town Halls
| JANUARY 2 | JANUARY 3 | JANUARY 4 |
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Washington County Town Hall
January 2 @ 2 p.m.
Conestoga Recreation and Aquatic Center 9985 SW 125th Ave Beaverton, OR 97008 |
Lane County Town Hall January 3 @ 10:30 a.m. Hamlin Middle School 326 Centennial Blvd. Springfield, OR, 97477 |
Jefferson County January 4 @ 11 a.m. Madras Performing Arts Center 412 SE Buff St. Madras, OR, 97741 |
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Clackamas County Town Hall
January 2 @ 6 p.m.
Gladstone High School
18800 Portland Ave.
Gladstone, OR, 97027
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Benton County Town Hall
January 3 @ 2:30 p.m.
Philomath High School
2054 Applegate St.
Philomath, OR, 97370
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Deschutes County January 4 @ 3 p.m. Mountain View High School 2755 NE 27th St. Bend, OR, 97701 |
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Linn County Town Hall January 3 @ 5:30 p.m. Timber Ridge School 373 Timber Ridge St. NE Albany, OR, 97322 |
Crook County Town Hall January 4 @ 7 p.m. Crook County High School 1100 SE Lynn Blvd. Prineville, OR, 97754 |
| JANUARY 4 | JANUARY 5 | JANUARY 6 | JANUARY 7 |
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Yamhill County Town Hall January 4, 2019 @ 1:30 pm Linfield College, Ice Auditorium at Melrose Hall 900 SE Baker St. McMinnville, OR |
Lincoln County Town Hall January 5, 2019 @ 12:00 pm Lincoln City Cultural Center 540 NE Hwy 101 Lincoln City, OR |
Clatsop County Town Hall January 6, 2019 @ 12:00 pm Columbia River Maritime Museum 1792 Marine Dr. Astoria, OR |
Marion County Town Hall January 7, 2019 @ 9:30 am Woodburn High School Auditorium 1785 N Front St Woodburn , OR |
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Washington County Town Hall January 4, 2019 @ 5:30 pm Sherwood Center for the Arts 22689 SW Pine St., Sherwood, OR |
Tillamook County Town Hall January 5, 2019 @ 3:30 pm Port of Tillamook Bay Officers Mess Hall 6825 Officer's Row Road Tillamook, OR |
Columbia County Town Hall January 6, 2019 @ 4:00 pm Meriwether Place 1070 Columbia Blvd St. Helens, OR |
