National forest lands in Washington and Oregon will get federal funding to help restore critical and endangered watersheds. Conservation groups say the $8.1 million allocated for this work is only a start and more money is needed to achieve compliance with the federal Clean Water Act.

Oregon will receive approximately $4.7 million and Washington will get $3.46 million, which is part of the $39.46 million the federal government will distribute to national forests across the country as part of the Legacy Roads and Trails Remediation Initiative.

Supporters of the Washington Watershed Restoration Initiative are encouraged that the federal government has begun to provide resources to address the problem, but concerned that the funding received this year is only a small fraction of what is needed.

"Thanks to the efforts of the Northwest's congressional delegation, the Forest Service now has a start on funding to begin addressing this problem," said Sue Gunn of Wildlands CPR.

Thousands of miles of crumbling national forest roads are degrading water quality, causing landslides, exacerbating flooding and muddying or blocking salmon habitat. The failing roads contribute to the declining ecosystem health of Puget Sound, the Columbia River and other waters across the state.

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