Friday, Jun 3 2011 2:20PM
Redistribution of water in rural Oregon could create hundreds of jobs, reports say.
Rural Oregon communities could see a boost to their economies, KTVZ-TV reports, as Oregon Representative Greg Walden introduced a bill that would create numerous jobs for central Oregon residents while also improving water conservation in the state.
According to the station, Walden stated the Central Oregon Jobs and Water Security Act would create hundreds of employment opportunities for a state in need of jobs. Additionally, the legislation would redistribute water to areas of central Oregon such as Prineville.
"This small act could be huge for Central Oregon," Walden said. "The common-sense solutions in this plan have the potential to support hundreds of new jobs in a part of the state that needs jobs as badly as anywhere in the entire country."
Crook County commissioner Mike McCabe said the bill would be positive for the economic development of Oregon's rural areas, stating it should reduce the state's high unemployment rate considerably.
The unemployment rate in rural Crook County was 15.3 percent in April, the Oregon Employment Department reports.