ICYMI: Trump Administration Visits Oregon and Washington State, Secretary Bernhardt Highlights Actions that Impact Conservation, Timber Production and Water Management

Date: Friday, July 10, 2020
Contact: Interior_Press@ios.doi.gov
 

WASHINGTON - This week, the Trump Administration traveled to Oregon and Washington State, where U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt met with Tribal leaders, Bureau of Reclamation staff, members of Congress, local business representatives, and other members of the public. The Trump Administration remains committed to being a good neighbor, ensuring federal decisions are informed by local concerns.

Listening to Local Voices

On Tuesday, Secretary Bernhardt joined U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse (WA-04) in Omak, Washington, for a roundtable with community members, announcing that the Department will not move forward with a new Grizzly Bear Restoration Plan for the North Cascades Ecosystem due to local concerns. The full release is online.  

Supporting Local Economies

Secretary Bernhardt visited a timber manufacturing company in Western Oregon to see firsthand how plywood is produced and to better understand the industry’s significant impact on the local economy. The Trump Administration has taken multiple actions to support sustainable and predictable timber production from healthy forests.

Last year, the Bureau of Land Management offered 272 million board feet of timber (mmbf) for sale – the most timber offered in a single year since the mid-1990s. Currently, the BLM is on track for another record year at 278 mmbf, which is enough timber to construct 15,750 new homes. This is significant for the more than 7,200 jobs in the Oregon timber industry that are directly supported by the BLM’s land management decisions and the resulting output that generates $770 million for the local economy.

Ensuring a Reliable Water Supply for Communities in the Pacific North West

The Department is committed to ensuring a reliable water supply for communities in the Pacific Northwest. Secretary Bernhardt visited two Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) projects, Grand Coulee Dam near Grand Coulee, Washington, and the Klamath Project near Klamath Falls, Oregon, to see firsthand how these projects affect their communities.

U.S. Representatives Greg Walden (OR-02) and Doug LaMalfa (CA-01) joined Secretary Bernhardt for stops relating to the Klamath Project where they heard from ranchers, farmers, Tribes and community members and discussed how they can work together to make the best decisions for all that are involved and impacted.

Feds cancel grizzly bear reintroduction plans

The U.S. Department of the Interior is abandoning plans to reintroduce grizzly bears to the North Cascades after listening to concerns from residents.

U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt made the announcement today at a roundtable discussion with local elected officials and stakeholders at the Omak Elks Lodge.

“Representative (Dan) Newhouse has been a tireless advocate for his community and his constituents regarding plans to reintroduce grizzly bears into the North Cascades Ecosystem,” Bernhardt said. “The Trump Administration is committed to being a good neighbor, and the people who live and work in north central Washington have made their voices clear that they do not want grizzly bears reintroduced into the North Cascades. Grizzly bears are not in danger of extinction, and Interior will continue to build on its conservation successes managing healthy grizzly bear populations across their existing range.”

Full article here.

Ranchers Applaud Decision to Scrap Grizzly Bear Introduction Pan in North Cascades

Kaitlynn Glover, National Cattlemen's Beef Association executive director of natural resources and Public Lands Council executive director, today released the following statement in response to the Department of the Interior's announcement that the Department will not move forward with the introduction of grizzly bears to the North Cascades ecosystem:

“Secretary Bernhardt's announcement today is welcome news to local stakeholders across the region who know that the introduction of grizzly bears would be detrimental to their rural communities in the North Cascades. Ranchers and public lands users in these communities face overwhelming losses and impacts from huge gray wolf populations, and when paired with the economic hardship of the coronavirus pandemic, the introduction of yet another apex-predator would prove devastating. We applaud Secretary Bernhardt and his team for relying on science and local voices to guide an important decision.”

Full article here.

Secretary of Interior Bernhardt tours Midland field of crosses

Backdropped by a dusty field filled with white crosses representing lost farms, Secretary of Interior David Bernhardt chatted casually with Klamath Basin farmers and ranchers and their families Thursday afternoon, vowing to chart a path towards a solution to water conflicts in the Klamath Basin.

Bernhardt was joined by Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman, Congressmen Greg Walden (R-OR) and Doug LaMalfa (R-California), and other top water officials in the field that hosted the “Shut Down Fed Up” rally held on May 29. The rally that drew more than 4,000 people, following a tractor and vehicle convoy that spanned more than 29 miles between Merrill and Klamath Falls, also drew national attention across the miles from Bernhardt and other top federal officials.

Full article here.

Klamath Basin water issues focus of Secretary of the Interior visit

A member of President Trump’s Cabinet was in Klamath County Thursday, focusing on water issues.

Bernhardt says he’ll be working on options to take to the President.  “I believe that we have to come out, understand the situation, go back, think about it, and come back and say, ‘here’s what we can do, and here’s what we can’t do’.  And some of the ‘can’t do’, people might not like.”

A recent rally to support farmers sparked Congressman Greg Walden to invite the Secretary to the Klamath Basin.

Full story here.

Klamath Falls Visited by Rep. Walden, Interior Secretary for Water Shortage Discussion

Federal leaders and congressmen, including Representative Greg Walden, visited Klamath Falls to meet with farmers in the Basin and discuss the water issues that they face.

Earlier this year, there were murmurs that the federal Bureau of Reclamation would further reduce the amount of water that irrigators in the area could access — with water already expected to be in short supply during this year's drought. Following a convoy organized by Klamath Falls farmers on May 29, it was announced that farmers in the Basin would get the original allotment of water they were promised.

Full article here.

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