Consolidated Appropriations Act Includes Over $5 Million for Southern Oregon Projects

‘Helping our Heroes’ Program To Assist Service Members and their Families in Need Receives Funding

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Washington D.C. – Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that over $5 million for infrastructure and job creation projects throughout Southern Oregon will be included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2010.  Projects include upgrading a mobile data center for police officers, creating jobs repairing roadways and bridges, and providing organizations the resources to help children who are victims of abuse.

“Southern Oregon communities will see the benefits of these projects firsthand, from Medford to Klamath Falls,” said Merkley.  “These funds will create much needed jobs for local residents and provide a pathway to a safer and healthier place for children and families.”

“This funding is an investment in the economy, infrastructure and communities of southern Oregon and it will reap benefits that go beyond the dollar values – it will improve quality of life across the region,” Wyden said.

These projects are part of an omnibus appropriations bill that previously passed the House of Representatives. The package combined appropriations bills covering Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education; Financial Services; Military Construction and Veterans Affairs; Transportation/Housing and Urban Development; Commerce, Justice and Science; and State-Foreign Operations. The vote held last weekend concluded the congressional appropriations process for these bills, which require only the President’s signature to become law.

Projects in the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations bill include:

Consolidated 911 Dispatch Center – Jackson County - $710,000
Funds will be used to consolidate two existing aged dispatch centers into one new modern one.

West Coast Governors’ Agreement on Ocean Health – Statewide - $500,000
Funds will support a collaborative effort by Oregon, Washington and California to maintain health coastal communities, protect marine habitat and estuaries and increase marine technology and research.

Oregon State Police Mobile Data Center – Statewide - $500,000
Funds will be spent to upgrade and enhance secure mobile video and other applications for Oregon State Police Officers.

Rx to Save Teens’ Lives – Statewide - $470,000
Funds will be used to prevent prescription drug abuse through education programs for youth and parents as well as launching a statewide media campaign aimed at informing residents about the dangers of prescription drug abuse.

Rape Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) - Statewide - $300,000
Funds will be used to provide services to sexual assault victims as well as support efforts to prevent sexual assault through education.

Projects in the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Bill include:

Oregon Association of Relief Nurseries (OARN) - Lane, Multnomah, Douglas, Deschutes, Jackson, Linn and Umatilla Counties - $100,000
Funding for this project will help create therapeutic classrooms in each of the 11 Relief Nurseries in Oregon. This is a program that supports natural and normal development of children who are experiencing challenges early in their lives due to the stresses of their home environment and threat of abuse.

Kids in Common – Douglas County - $300,000
Funds will help non-profit organizations collaborate together and deliver more effective intervention services to children and their families who are dealing with child abuse. 

Helping our Heroes – Statewide - $300,000
This project will create a dedicated Oregon line at Oregon Partnership’s LifeLine Call Center for returning soldiers and their families dealing with mental health, suicide, and alcohol and drug problems. The program will provide hands-on support to military children and families prior to, during, and after the deployment of a parent or loved one. Calls will be answered by trained war veterans.

Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT) – Klamath County - $250,000
Funds will be used to provide the Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT) with clinical laboratory science equipment.

Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT) – Klamath County - $100,000
Funds will be used to provide the Oregon Institute of Technology with medical imaging software and picture archiving and communications systems.

Projects in the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill include:

Highway 140 East – Lake County - $1,000,000
Funds will be used to correct the curve to allow vehicles to travel the curve safely at 45 miles per hour.  The project will also replace two culverts with a more environmentally-friendly culvert to aid fish passage.

Bear Creek Greenway Crossing at Barnett Road – Jackson County - $500,000
Funds will be used for bridge construction, utility relocation and site acquisition.

Brett Way Extension – Klamath County - $292,200
Funds will be used to extend Brett Way and create a new intersection to improve public safety.