Attend a virtual townhall and make your voice heard! Let Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley know you OPPOSE the giveaway of 150 acres of public land for data center water use!
As detailed in Currents, WaterWatch and a coalition of angling, land-use, and conservation organizations submitted a letter to Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley detailing our opposition to HR 655, a bill introduced by Congressman Cliff Bentz that would transfer 150 acres of federal public land from the Mt. Hood National Forest to the City of The Dalles, home to a Google data center campus with skyrocketing water and energy demands.
On Monday, WaterWatch and our coalition partners met with representatives from Senator Wyden’s staff to discuss our concerns about HR 655, and both Sentators Wyden and Merkley will speak with Oregonians about the situation during a virtual town hall Tuesday, Feb. 24th, from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Share your concerns about HR 655 and let Senators Wyden and Merkley know how you feel!
HR 655 would impact the Dog River, an important tributary of the larger Hood River, and could reduce cold water into the Hood, an EPA-recognized cold water refuge. Both rivers are used by at least five runs of salmon and steelhead listed under the federal Endangered Species Act. In addition:
The giveaway of 150 acres of Mt. Hood National Forest under HR 655 would remove public land from the public trust without benefit to taxpayers.
HR 655 would remove Mt. Hood National Forest land from conservation management overseen by the U.S. Forest Service.
HR 655 would enable The Dalles to triple the capacity of their reservoir that collects water from the Dog River.
According to reporting by OPB, much of the water appears to be intended for Google data center use in The Dalles, reflecting the increasing trend of new demands for water and energy to serve data centers. HR 655 passed the House of Representatives on Dec. 9th, and is now before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, where Senator Wyden is a committee member.
Oregon’s world-class rivers, streams, and public lands make life possible for hundreds of native fish and wildlife species. Help us advocate for the Dog River now and submit your questions for Senator Wyden and Merkley’s virtual townhall. You can tune in at Senator Merkley’s YouTube channel Tuesday at 2:30 p.m.
Banner photo of Mt. Hood and triptych photo of Cold Spring Creek (Dog River tributary) by Tommy Hough, salmon photo courtesy of Mark Hereford / Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Dog River trail sign photo courtesy of the Mt. Hood National Forest.
