OWEB seeks $35 million spending authority to distribute Monsanto settlement earnings
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Summary
The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board requested a permanent $35 million increase in other funds expenditure limitation to distribute annual earnings from the Oregon Environmental Restoration Fund established by SB 1561; LFO and DAS recommended approval and the committee passed the motion.
The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board asked the Ways and Means subcommittee to approve a permanent increase of $35,000,000 in other funds expenditure limitation so the agency can administratively distribute proceeds from the 2022 settlement with Monsanto into legislatively directed recipient accounts.
Stephanie Page introduced the request and Nicole Maness, manager of the Oregon Environmental Restoration Program, said the fund was established by Senate Bill 1561 (2024) and will be operated with a long‑term distribution policy: the Council set a 5% annual distribution of a three‑year average balance, with distributions split 50% to state agency programs, 25% to a Tribal Nation Natural Resource Fund and 25% to a Disproportionately Impacted Communities Fund. Maness said the 5% policy could generate up to $35 million per year or $70 million per biennium across the three funds as the portfolio grows, and OWEB is requesting authority specifically to distribute the tribal and DIC portions (combined $35M per biennium).
Maness emphasized the fund was established by statute and that OWEB is seeking only spending authority to administer legislatively authorized distributions. DAS and LFO staff recommended including the increase in a 2026 reconciliation bill; the committee moved and passed the LFO recommendation without recorded objection.
The subcommittee approved the motion and nominated a carrier to carry the item into the reconciliation process.
