Tell Wyden to Stop HR655

Why?

House Bill 655 would transfer 150 acres of Mt Hood
National forest land to The Dalles, Oregon to expand their
reservoir. This will suck more water out of the Dog River, an
important tributary to Hood River, and feed it to the growing
Google Data Center complex in The Dalles.

Why is House Bill 655 Dangerous?
This transfer of ownership of Forest Service lands would enable
The Dalles to triple the size of their reservoir and increase their
water intake while sidestepping important federal safeguards of
our public lands and water, and local wildlife. Water Watch
Oregon predicts that this could harm 5 endangered salmon and
steelhead runs on the Hood and Dog Rivers. Diverting Dog
river water away from Hood river will reduce the cold water flow
into the Hood river and exacerbate the overheating problem in the Hood
and Columbia rivers.

Google already consumes nearly 1/3 of the total water used by
The Dalles, and they are looking for more. They have plans to
expand their six-building Google data center campus, which sits
adjacent to the Columbia River and already causes local air,
water and noise pollution.

The Dalles should not be allowed to circumvent these
regulations and endanger precious water sources that protect
our water quality and the environment. These rules are vital to
preserving the natural treasures that make Oregon a special
place to live, work, and raise a family.

What Can You Do?
HR655 passed the House of Representatives last December, and
now sits in the Senate. Contact Senators Wyden and Merkley
and tell them to uphold the rules that safeguard Oregon’s
salmon, water, and outdoors, and reject HR655!
Please join the rally urging Senator Wyden to reject
passage of HR655.

WHEN: Thursday, Aug 13, from 4-5pm, organized by Extinction Rebellion PDX (xrpdx.org)
WHERE: Sen. Ron Wyden’s Portland office at 911 NE 11th Avenue, Portland, Oregon

(Click here to read recent testimony submitted to the Sub-Committee on Public Lands, Forests and Mining)