Oregon’s Wyden Leads Bipartisan Push to Secure Rural Road Funding

In a move critical for Oregon’s vast rural landscapes and outdoor economy, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden is spearheading a bipartisan effort to renew a vital federal funding program for roads and bridges on federal lands. Teaming up with Senator Steve Daines of Montana, Wyden is introducing legislation to reauthorize the Federal Lands Transportation Program, which is set to expire this fall.

The program is a financial lifeline for infrastructure that provides access to some of Oregon’s most treasured and economically significant public lands. It funds the maintenance and improvement of roads managed by agencies like the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, which are not part of the state highway system.

“From the Columbia River Gorge to the trails around Crater Lake, Oregonians and visitors depend on safe, reliable roads to reach our world-class public lands,” Senator Wyden stated. “Letting this program lapse would mean potholes going unfilled, bridges deteriorating, and access for firefighters, loggers, and recreationists being put at risk.”

The potential impact on Oregon is substantial. The state is home to over 30 million acres of federal forest and rangeland. Deteriorating infrastructure not only hampers tourism and recreation—a multi-billion dollar industry in Oregon—but also complicates wildfire response and sustainable timber management.

Wyden and Daines’ bill seeks to secure stable, long-term funding, arguing that predictable investment is necessary for proper planning and construction. As Congress debates reauthorization, Oregon’s outdoor businesses, rural communities, and conservation groups are watching closely, understanding that the path to their natural heritage relies on the roads that lead there.