Legislative Support for OregonFlora – Let’s Make it a Reality
 NPSO has found a legislative ally of OregonFlora. Representative Pam Marsh (District 5, Ashland area) enthusiastically agrees that the resources offered through OregonFlora are critical for both the NPSO and a wide variety of governmental agencies, businesses, educators, and Oregon residents. Representative Marsh will be submitting a bill for the 2025-2026 biennium to request $200,000 per year of ongoing support for the OregonFlora program. This would represent an historic first for receiving sustainable financial support; it would let OregonFlora continue to keep plant diversity data freely available and up to date. How can you help? Below is an informational fact sheet that describes the forthcoming legislation that Representative Marsh has requested. Early in 2025, we will receive a bill number and the proposed bill language. During the legislative session, which runs from January to June, there will be multiple opportunities to submit testimony in favor of the bill, and we will be encouraging you to send an email to your state representative and senator to ask for their support. Find your representative by entering your home address here. When you write your legislators tell them why the Flora of Oregon books and the OregonFlora website are important to you. Introduce them to the OregonFlora website: https://oregonflora.org. Ask your Legislators to contact Representative Marsh about signing on as a co-sponsor of the OregonFlora Funding Bill. Representative Marsh is a Democrat. Republican co-sponsors showing bipartisan support would be great. Be on the lookout in future emails for further direction on how to support the bill. When the 2025 Oregon Legislative Assembly convenes and committee memberships are finalized, we will ask you – NPSO constituents of the legislators on key committees—to again contact those legislators. The Joint Committee on Ways and Means is one of those committees. If you have questions or need help writing a letter to your legislator, contact your chapter president who will connect you with a NPSO Legislative Committee volunteer. Thank you. We can do this. – Dave Garcia |
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