Extinction Rebellion Portland - XR PDX

Activist showed up at Senator Ron Wyden's Portland office on Thursday, August 13th to advocate against a Google water grab for data centers in The Dalles, Oregon.

Wyden has now stated his opposition to moving the bill forward in the Senate!

Thank you to all of those who wrote, called and advocated publicly to protect this watershed on Mt. Hood.

The fight is not over. Senator Jeff Merkley has not yet stated his position on House Bill 655, and we need to ensure that this bill never moves forward in the Senate.

House Bill 655 would transfer 150 acres of Mt Hood National forest land to The Dalles, to expand their municipal water 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.

The watershed is currently federal land under the protection of the US Forest Service. The transfer of this land would circumvent federal environmental protections currently in place, putting the land and water resources that support wildlife and endangered fish populations that rely on them at risk.

Please contact Senator Merkley and ask for his opposition to HB655. Contact Senator Merkley at (503) 326-3386, or through his website at
https://www.merkley.senate.gov/connect/contact.

Tell Wyden to Stop HR655. It's a Google Water Grab!

WHEN: Thursday, Aug 13, from 4-5pm

WHERE: Sen. Ron Wyden’s Portland office at 911 NE 11th Avenue, Portland, Oregon

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.

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 federal environmental regulations and endanger precious watersources 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.

Support this action by BARK and partners to stop public lands transfer to The Dalles. This watershed would be used as a resource for water hungry data centers.

Send a letter now to the Senate Subcommittee and your federal Senator.

https://prod.cdn.everyaction.com/emails/van/EA/EA017/1/110814/hVkacJAUCrIzBb5a-Ban9Lrx10P9UQtu5pYt2pyVksP_archive?sourceid=1088116&ms=HR655072126&emci=99f8496b-4c81-f111-b337-000d3a1558ce&emdi=26e6ecef-2a85-f111-b337-000d3a1558ce&ceid=4147447

Committee Session 6:
ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
Friday, July 31, 2026, 9 am - 4 pm

The agenda includes presentations and discussions on:
- air quality and greenhouse gas emissions;
- effects on school funding;
- economy and workforce impacts.

Public comment begins at 2:15 pm. You don't need to attend the full day meeting in order to comment.

If you haven't yet signed up for the Session 6 webinar, you must register in advance to access the live webinar.

https://www.oregon.gov/energy/Get-Involved/Pages/Oregon-Data-Center-Advisory-Committee.aspx

Zoom will automatically send a confirmation with login information to your email; this may appear in your spam folder.

Data Center Protest today in Salem. See info in Koin article.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.koin.com/news/national/pnw-oregon-washington-national-protest-ai-data-centers-what-to-know/amp/

The First Cross-Region Climate Week in North America is happening this week.
JULY 13 - 19, 2026

PNW Climate Week is a week of community-powered events happening across 7 cities from Vancouver, BC, Canada, to Bend, Oregon, USA.

Our mission is to transition to an equitable, climate-positive bioregion - that gives back more than it takes.

We envision a region where communities and ecosystems can thrive in harmony - through greater affordability, resilience, and a prosperous green economy.

Together, we spark new ideas, forge lasting partnerships, and shorten the journey from awareness to action.

pnwclimateweek.org/events

Call Senators Wyden and Merkley and your US representative. Tell them to remove section 219 from the defense reauthorization bill, this section codifies stronger US military ties with Israel. Time to break the bonds with Israel.

Read more here: https://www.commondreams.org/news/section-219-israeli-military

WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE THE HEAT!

With experts predicting a sizzling summer for Oregon after the lowest snowpack ever recorded, we're gathering to ask: how do we organize to mitigate and respond effectively to climate-caused disasters?

• 5:00 PM: A pre-Rumble Tour of the Bird Alliance of Oregon's future Wildlife Care Center and Nature Sanctuary site

• 5:30 PM: Tabling

• 6:30 PM: Panel discussion

https://xrpdx.org/rumble-on-the-river-32-were-not-gonna-take-the-heat

Federal websites are adding surveillance capabilities. See Guardian article.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/28/government-website-visitor-tracking-surveillance-fears

City Councilors speak out on Moda Center tax dollar giveaway and inappropriate use of the Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF).

See videos by our ally Dan Shea of Veterans For Peace:

Moda Center Press Conference & Picket 6/24/26 (1) (5 mins 28 sec)

https://youtu.be/vPw2Kzb0kkg?is=ue-EGFEjnsnXRfrW

Moda Center Press Conference & Picket 6/24/26 (2)

https://youtu.be/jC8mAyqshvg?is=t146W-SRmO5MS2zGdeo by our ally Dan Shea of Veterans For Peace: