U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, highlights the value of the Pendleton Children’s Center Oct. 3, 2022, during a tour of the center. Wyden and Sen. Jeff Merkley on March 27, 2024, announced federal funding for 139 projects in Oregon, including $1.5 million for expansion of the Pendleton Children’s Center.

PENDLETON — Oregon U.S. Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced a list of funding for community-initiated projects across Oregon on Wednesday, March 27, including some in Umatilla and Morrow counties.

The funding is for fiscal year 2024, according to a joint press release from the senators’ offices. A total of 139 projects received funding across the state, with 12 based in Eastern Oregon.

“Community-initiated projects are rooted in the fact that no one knows the unique needs of communities across Oregon like the folks living and working in them. The communities identified top projects, and we fought for them,” Merkley said. “Together with Sen. Wyden and members of Oregon’s House delegation, we secured funding for 139 of these important homegrown projects that will benefit Oregonians in every corner of the state for years to come.”

Merkley and Wyden hold a town hall in each Oregon county every year, the press release said, and use local feedback to inform their work in Washington, D.C. The local comments are reflected in the latest round of federal funding in wildfire and drought resiliency, affordable housing, health care, education, manufacturing, and more.

Pendleton Children’s Center received $1.5 million to purchase and renovate a building next to its facility, at 510 SW 10th St., to provide more space for childcare. The center has 36 children enrolled, but the center’s leadership hopes to enroll 150 after expansion.

“Pendleton Children’s Center’s board of directors is extremely grateful for this funding, which will jump start our Phase 2 expansion into a second building adjacent to our existing child care and early education center,” Kathryn B. Brown, secretary-treasurer of the center, said in a statement on the funding. “Our goal is to eventually enroll 150 infants, toddlers and preschoolers, providing high-quality care and helping those families — while also stimulating economic and workforce development — in this region of Eastern Oregon.”

The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation received $3 million to install a wastewater treatment plant that will produce recycled water for non-potable uses. The treatment facility will produce water for irrigation, reducing how much groundwater needs to be drawn from the community’s aquifers.

Morrow County received $1.32 million to support the second phase of its project to find solutions to high concentrations of nitrates in private wells within the Lower Umatilla Basin Groundwater Management Area. According to the press release, funding will be used to create a Preliminary Engineering Report and for vetting alternatives for providing well users with clean water.

“Morrow County thanks Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden for their efforts in securing this funding,” Morrow County Commissioner David Sykes said in a statement. “With their help we will continue our partnership in first identifying, then implementing, long-term solutions to provide safe and clean drinking water for all our citizens.”

The funding is on top of $1.7 million granted to Morrow and Umatilla counties in the fall of 2023 for the first phase of that project.

Boardman also will receive $1.5 million to construct a building to support new and emerging businesses, in particular enhancing opportunities for minority business enterprises and low-income populations in an underserved area of Morrow County, the press release said.

“As a community, there are a million little pieces to help your city grow and thrive,” said Brandon Hammond, Boardman city manager. “This funding will help to create a business incubator building, which will provide space for startup companies, and establish a major piece to our puzzle of success.”

Wyden said it’s important to listen to communities to learn what their needs are.

“Oregonians are the true experts on their communities’ needs, and these federal investments reflect their informed local expertise,” Wyden said. “I’m glad the teamwork with these Oregon communities and Sen. Merkley has generated such a comprehensive and powerful package of wins that make our state an even better place to live and work.”

• $2 million for the Wallowa Lake Irrigation District to continue its work with partners to create safe passage for fish listed under the Endangered Species Act.
• $1.5 million to Regional Rural Revitalization to help facilitate public-private partnerships between emerging small businesses and public sector agencies for small frontier cities, including Lakeview, Burns, and John Day. 
• $1.365 million for the City of Sumpter to install a new water transmission mainline and install modern water meters at every connection.
• $1.33 million was secured for the Oregon Trails Coalition for recreational trail work at the USFS. 
• $978,000 to Lifeways to construct a Stabilization Center in Ontario.
• $500,000 for the Harney County Watershed Council for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to work with the State of Oregon to better understand the state’s groundwater resources.
• $220,000 for the Travel Information Council (TIC) to install panels of tribal-approved historical interpretation in 12 safety rest areas in Oregon. 
• $113,000 for the Grant County CyberMill Expansion project in John Day to support more equitable internet access for rural Oregonians.