High Desert Museum asks supporters to call or write lawmakers, urge them to save cut agency that’s provided key aid

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – The High Desert Museum reached out to its supporters Tuesday, asking them to call or write their members of Congress and ask them to preserve a federal agency eliminated by President Trump that has supported the museum in recent years.

Last Friday, the museum said, President Trump issued an executive order that effectively eliminates in the next week "a federal agency that provides vital support to museums and libraries across the nation: the Institute of Museum and Library Services."

"It takes decades to build a thriving educational infrastructure for communities," the museum explained. "In the High Desert Museum’s case, it’s taken over 40 years to arrive where we are today in providing learning opportunities to nearly 225,000 visitors annually, along with thousands of students in field trips, school’s out camps, outreach to rural communities and other programs.

The IMLS "has been a critical part of that" progress, officials said, awarding over $1.43 million to the museum in the past decade, "including a current $478,000 grant to build additional, much-needed classrooms."

The museum's email shared the phone numbers for the offices of Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and Representatives Cliff Bnetz and Janelle Bynum. It also linked to a template letter from the American Alliance of Museums, urging senders to personalize their messages to elected officials.