Comments sought on draft Oregon Heritage Plan - 12/06/13
The Oregon Heritage Commission is seeking comments from the public on its draft 2014-2019 Oregon Heritage Plan.

"The Heritage Commission serves as a catalyst and coordinator for more than 1,000 non-profit organizations that gather heritage and make it available to the public," said commission coordinator Kyle Jansson. "The plan's goals link the work of the Heritage Commission and the heritage organizations and initiatives across the state."

The draft plan focuses on four areas: collections, economic development and tourism, communications, and education.

The plan was developed after commissioners reviewed four studies, including one by a Legislative Task Force on Heritage Vitality.

A link to the plan is available at www.oregonheritage.org . Comments are requested before Jan. 15. They may be sent to Jansson at kyle.jansson@state.or.us or to Oregon Heritage Commission, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, 725 Summer St. NE, Suite C, Salem OR 97301-1266.

Salmonberry Corridor Master Plan Meetings (corrected dates) - 12/02/13
The Salmonberry Corridor Master Plan is holding (2) listening posts for adjacent landowners and the public on the master planning process.

West End - Tillamook
Date: 12/3/13
Time: 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
Location: ODF Office
5005 3rd Street

East End - Banks
Date: 12/4/13
Time: 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Location: Banks Fire Hall
300 Main Street

What is the Salmonberry Corridor?
The Salmonberry Corridor is 86 miles long and encompasses the Port of Tillamook Bay Railway. After storm damage in 2007, the rail line is closed and will no longer provide a train connection from the coast to the valley. The corridor is proposed to be a trail, a rail-to-trail and a rail-with-trail along the 86 miles connecting the City of Tillamook to City of Banks. It would connect 8 cities and 2 counties while passing through agrarian fields, the rugged coast range, important fisheries and along the Oregon coastline ending in Tillamook.

What is the master plan?
The master plan is a long-term plan to guide future resource management and recreational uses along the corridor. In the planning for the corridor, the planning team is taking a comprehensive look at natural, scenic and cultural resource conditions; corridor management needs; outdoor recreation trends in the region; community partnerships; and any related ideas and concerns identified through public input.

For more information about the meeting or about the Salmonberry Corridor Master Plan, please contact Rocky Houston, Park Trails Specialist, at (503) 986-0750, rocky.houston@state.or.us.

Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Director announces retirement, Oregon State Parks and Recreation Commission to meet by phone - 12/02/13
News release // Oregon Parks and Recreation Dept. // FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE // Dec. 6, 2013

Contact: Chris Havel, 503-931-2590 (cell)

Salem OR - Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Director Tim Wood has publicly announced his retirement. His last day in the office will be January 10, 2014. Wood has been the department director since 2004. The Oregon State Parks and Recreation Commission will meet by phone at 3 p.m. December 6, 2013 to act on a short agenda related to recruitment of the agency's next director. The recruitment will be open December 9-January 10, 2014.

The Commission, a seven-member group of citizen volunteers appointed by the Governor to oversee agency policy, rules and budget, is also responsible for hiring its director.

"We are sad to see Director Wood leave the Department," says Jay Graves, Commission Chair. "But it's a well-earned rest. He's done a wonderful job of building a strong team that understand their mission is to give Oregonians great outdoor experiences and protect important historic places."

Wood joined the department in 1998 as operational manager of the state park system after a career in the U.S. Army where he last served as Commander, Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He competed for and became department director in 2004, becoming the chief executive for all agency programs and services, including the State Historic Preservation Office, Oregon State Fair and Exposition Center, all-terrain vehicle safety, ocean shore recreation, state scenic waterways, and several community grant programs providing aid to local outdoor recreation and heritage projects.

The Commission meeting agenda includes action on a recruitment announcement and naming an interim director. The agenda and materials are posted online at http://www.oregon.gov/oprd/Pages/commission.aspx. Members of the public who wish to comment on the recruitment may do so in writing by email to oprd.publiccomment@state.or.us or regular mail so long as it is received by noon, December 6, 2013. A public survey is also online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/oprddirector. Responses to the survey will be delivered to the Commission on 12/6/2013, but the survey will be left open until January 2, 2014.

To listen in on the commission deliberations or present comments in person, members of the public can come to the agency headquarters in Salem at 725 Summer St NE, Salem OR 97301 on 12/6/2013 at 3 p.m. Those needing special accommodations to attend should contact OPRD at 503-986-0719 to make arrangements at least three days in advance.

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$5 off state park day-use permit in December - 12/02/13
December is "good deal" month at Oregon State Parks. From December 1- December 31, visitors and gift-givers can save $5 on the 12-month day-use parking permit. Parking fees are required at 26 Oregon state parks, and cost $5 per day, unless you have a 12 or 24-month pass. The 12-month pass is on sale for $25 - regularly $30 - in December.

"This makes a great gift," said Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) spokesman Chris Havel. "And with $5 off, it's also a big bargain " The permits are transferable from vehicle to vehicle, making them a versatile value in today's economy. OPRD also offers a 24-month pass, priced at $50, that Havel said is "always a good deal."

The Oregon Coast Passport is also discounted $5 in December. The passport is a multi-agency product, valid at Oregon State Parks, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service sites along the Oregon Coast. The coastal passports are on sale for $30--regularly $35--in December.

The 12- and 24-month OPRD permits, coastal passports and OPRD gift certificates can be purchased by calling the Oregon State Parks Information Center, 1-800-551-6949. Callers may use debit or credit cards that have VISA or MasterCard logos.

Walk-in customers can buy the OPRD permits at major OPRD offices, some state park friends' group stores and selected local businesses throughout the state. A list of vendors is posted at http://www.oregonstateparks.org/index.cfm?do=v.page&id=30 The coastal passports are sold at some coastal state parks, federal agency offices and local vendors in several coastal communities.

Salmonberry Corridor Coalition to hold two listening sessions on master plan next week - 11/26/13
Tillamook OR - The Salmonberry Corridor Coalition will hold two listening sessions next Tuesday, Dec. 4 and Wednesday, Dec. 5 to receive comment from neighboring landowners and the public on the trail's ongoing master planning process. The first meeting will be held on Dec. 4 at the Oregon Department of Forestry offices in Tillamook (5005 3rd St.) from 5:30 until 7:00 p.m. The second meeting will take place the following day, Dec. 5, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the Fire Hall at 300 Main Street in Banks. The meeting format will allow ample time for planning staff to answer questions from the public.

The Salmonberry Corridor is a proposed 86-mile trail, rail-to-trail, and rail-with-trail along the former Port of Tillamook Bay Railway between the city of Tillamook and the City of Banks. The rail line was closed due to storm damage in 2007. The new trail would connect eight cities and two counties, passing by the Oregon coastline, fisheries, the rugged Coast Range, and farm fields along the way.

The master plan is a comprehensive, long-term guide for future resource management and recreational use of the Corridor. To complete the process, the planning team is conducting a thorough assessment of natural, scenic, and cultural resources, management needs, regional outdoor recreation trends, community partnerships, and ideas and concerns identified by the public.

For more information about the Salmonberry Corridor master plan or the upcoming meetings, visit http://salmonberrycorridor.wordpress.com/ or contact Rocky Houston, Park Trails Specialist, at rocky.houston@state.or.us.

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Seeking groups of citizen scientists to track ocean debris in Oregon as part of NOAA study - 11/26/13
JOINT NEWS RELEASE
The Oregon Parks and Recreation Dept. and the Oregon Marine Debris Team
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 26, 2013

Seal Rock OR - The Oregon Marine Debris Team and the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department are inviting conservation-minded volunteer groups to participate in a new project to collect data through a collaborative coastal monitoring program. The initiative represents a unique opportunity to contribute on-the-ground information to a cross-country research study currently being conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to better understand the quantity and type of marine debris that washes up on U.S. shores.

The Oregon Marine Debris Team is offering $500 "community grants" to facilitate the participation of local groups in the program. The grants can be used to cover the costs of transportation to and from the monitoring site as well as equipment such as bags, measuring tape, and marker flags. Funding is available for up to ten teams. Interested groups should notify the Oregon Marine Debris Team of their intent to participate and submit an application for funding via http://tinyurl.com/debrisgrants by January 7.

Groups will be asked to gather data just once a month over a period of 24 months at a site 100 meters (about 325 feet) in length on the Oregon coast. There are currently seven areas where community volunteers are still needed:

* Columbia South Jetty to Camp Rilea
* Arch Cape to Nehalem Spit
* Mouth of Nestucca Bay to Salmon River Spit
* Government Point to Yaquina Head
* Siuslaw South Jetty to Horsfall Beach
* Bastendorff Beach to Seven Devils Wayside
* Hooskenaden Creek to Rainbow Rock

Groups are especially encouraged to select sites in more remote, less-trafficked areas where marine debris is unlikely to be disturbed and thus provide a more accurate picture of local conditions.

Groups can be preexisting organizations or new teams of volunteers formed for this project. No prior experience is necessary, as participants will be able to use the NOAA-developed system for recording data and uploading it online. A comprehensive training workshop and ongoing support will be provided by the Oregon Marine Debris Team and Oregon Sea Grant.

The Oregon Marine Debris Team (OMDT) is a coalition of five nonprofits: the Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition, SOLVE, Oregon Sea Grant, Washed Ashore, and the Oregon Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. OMDT was organized in 2011 following the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan to survey and remove debris that crossed the Pacific. More information is available at http://omdt.org/.

To learn more about the marine debris volunteer tracking program, visit http://www.oregonshores.org/coastwatch.php5 or contact Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition volunteer coordinator Fawn Custer at 541-270-0027.

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Oregon State Parks and Recreation Commission gives preliminary approval to two property projects - 11/21/13
[Note -- this is being re-sent to deal with a possible formatting issue. None of the content has changed. Thanks - Chris.]


Oregon Parks and Recreation Dept // News release // FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE // November 21, 2013


Media Contact: Chris Havel, Director's Office, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
Desk: 503-986-0722 // Cell: 503-931-2590


Corvallis OR - The Oregon State Parks and Recreation Commission voted to give two property projects a preliminary green light at its business meeting Wednesday, November 20 in Corvallis, Oregon and asked staff to return to a future meeting with information for a final vote.


The first approval affected the potential acquisition of property in Grant County, known as Grouse Mountain Ranch. The property, north of Mount Vernon along Highway 395, is 6,300 acres of hills, forest, grasslands, river bottomlands that would eventually include trails, camping, hunting and other outdoor recreation after a public planning effort. The property includes several residential structures that would be looked at for re-use as community meeting spaces and educational facilities. Grouse Mountain Ranch is one of the commission's property acquisition priorities <http://tinyurl.com/ogbgbpt>. The entire purchase could cost $4.5 million, though an exact price and timetable for the acquisition have not been set.


The second approval affects a series of exchanges of property and money with Bandon Biota, a private land holding entity owned by Michael Keiser, owner of Bandon Dunes and other golf courses. Bandon Biota proposed to receive 280 acres of the 878-acre Bandon State Natural Area to help create a new walk-in golf course. According to state rules, when an outside party initiates a land exchange, the proposal as a whole must provide overwhelming benefit to Oregon's state park system. In return for receiving 280 acres of the Bandon property, the state park system would receive 208 acres of private property in the Bandon area, $300,000 worth of help controlling gorse -- an invasive plant affecting parts of Bandon State Natural Area and other south coast parks -- and $2.95 million to fund two other state park purchases. Of that amount, $450,000 would be used to match a federal grant for a governmental entity to acquire 10 oceanfront acres at Whales' Cove in Lincoln County, and $2.5 million would be used to fund a portion of the Grouse Mountain Ranch acquisition.


While it approved these two proposals in principle, the commission has asked for additional information from staff and will not issue its final decision on either project until staff return at a future meeting with proposed final orders on both proposals. For Grant County, the commission has directed staff to work on an understanding with local government to address local concerns over taxes, fire protection, water rights, agricultural uses, hunting and other issues, and to provide more information about the main residence on the property and its potential use. For the coastal properties, the commission has directed staff to provide more information about a recent change in the exchange parcel boundary, potential impacts on endangered western snowy plover, and natural resource conditions on all the involved properties. For both sites the commission has directed staff to produce more documentation such as appraisals and environmental reports.


The exact text of the commission's actions:


Motion 1: the Commission finds that the contemplated Bandon Biota exchange meets the "overwhelming public benefit" standard of OAR 736-019-0070(4) and instruct the department to prepare a proposed final order for Commission approval.


Motion 2: the Commission finds that the acquisition of Grouse Mountain Ranch meets the acquisition standards in OAR 736-019-0060 and instruct the department to prepare a proposed final order for Commission approval.


Motion 3: the Commission directs the Department to continue good faith efforts to address local community concerns as reflected in the Governor's letter dated November 19, 2013.


Motion 4: the department will accept additional written testimony until December 6, 2013, regarding the proposed exchange or the proposed Grouse Mountain Ranch acquisition to afford the department the opportunity to consider the comments in preparing the proposed final orders.


The commission actions and audio of the public testimony are now online at http://www.oregon.gov/oprd/pages/commission-bandon.aspx. Public comment on these recent motions will be taken until December 6. The next public commission business meeting is February 5 in the Salem area.


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Petersen Rock Garden listed in the National Register of Historic Places - 11/15/13
Petersen Rock Garden was designed and constructed by Danish immigrant Rasmus Christian Petersen from about the time he retired from farming, in the winter of 1935-36 until his death in 1952. Located in rural Deschutes County between the cities of Redmond and Bend, Petersen Rock Garden was open to the public from the beginning, with only a suggested donation. The year of his death a reported 200,000 people visited the popular site.

Petersen constructed the garden features from volcanic and river rock and semi-precious stones that he collected from around the region and the country, which he assembled into sculptures and vignettes that expressed his personal visions and views, such as his Statue of Liberty, as well as fanciful buildings and narratives. He also built a museum on the site to showcase the more interesting stones in his collection, including his collection of fluorescent minerals. Petersen developed the rock garden on his original homestead, which he settled in 1906. Today the property is about twelve acres in size, with the gardens occupying approximately four acres, which also include ponds and other water features, Petersen's own Craftsman bungalow, his workshop where he constructed the features, the museum, a restaurant from the 1950s, and landscape features. Today Petersen Rock Garden is owned and operated by a descendent of the family, and is still open to the public.

Oregon's State Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation recommended the site's nomination in their February 2013 meeting. It is a unique property in Deschutes County and the State of Oregon. Petersen Rock Garden is one of 38 individual properties and historic districts in Deschutes County that are now listed in the National Register, which is maintained by the National Park Service under the authority of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966.

More information about the National Register and recent Oregon lists is online at www.oregonheritage.org (click on "National Register" at left of page).

UPDATED: Nominees Sought for 2014 Oregon Heritage Excellence Awards - 11/13/13
Applications are available now to nominate individuals, organizations and projects that have made outstanding contributions to preserving Oregon's heritage for an Oregon Heritage Excellence Award. Nominations are encouraged for exceptional and commendable work with special consideration given to the development of new ideas, approaches and innovations in heritage-related activities. The awards are intended to draw public attention to important heritage efforts in Oregon and to raise the quality of heritage-oriented activities.

The deadline for nominations is January 13, 2014. Award information and the nomination application is available online at www.oregonheritage.org or by contacting Cara Kaser at (503) 986-0670 or cara.kaser@state.or.us.

The Oregon Heritage Excellence Awards will be presented in the spring at the 2014 Oregon Heritage Conference in Albany. For more information about the awards, and to view a list of past award recipients, visit http://www.oregon.gov/oprd/HCD/OHC/Pages/award_info.aspx.