SALEM, Oregon — Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) has formed a committee to begin the process of amending the Oregon Administrative Rules that govern state parks, as directed by legislation passed during the 2021 session.

A Rule Advisory Committee will meet virtually Sep. 20 to review and discuss proposed changes to the administrative rules in order to implement the following new laws:

• Senate Bill 289: Requires anyone convicted of a bias crime on public property to be prohibited from entering state parks property for up to five years. Proposed rules will establish the process for issuing exclusions.
• Senate Bill 794: Adds a 25% surcharge for RV sites occupied by out-of-state residents. Proposed rules will outline which site types are subject to the surcharge.
• House Bill 2171: Changes the rule for how members are appointed to the new Outdoor Recreation Advisory Council, which will facilitate efforts of the Oregon Office of Outdoor Recreation to coordinate statewide outdoor recreation policy and priorities.

The committee will also discuss any financial or economic effects of the proposed rules on local governments or other stakeholders. The proposed rule changes are available at https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/PRP/pages/PRP-rulemaking.aspx

The meeting starts at 2 p.m. and is open to the public.  Anyone wishing to view the public meeting will need to register via https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nDvCJCodTNeJHOkEgn9ukA.

The agenda does not include time for public comment. After the committee review, the rule will open for public comment. Details will be posted on the OPRD Proposed OPRD Rules web page.

OPRD appointed members to the Rule Advisory Committee. Members comprise individuals who helped develop the legislation, active visitors to state parks and outdoor recreation professionals.

Individuals who require special accommodations to view the meetings should contact Katie Gauthier at least three days in advance of the meeting at 503-510-96 78 or katie.gauthier@oregon.gov.

The city of Bend has received a grant through the federal Historic Preservation Fund, administered by Oregon State Historic Preservation Office to fund the following local preservation project. 

Bend, Deschutes County
40210-120 River Mall Avenue, Charles Boyd Homestead
$3,000 grant funds
Roof, siding, and flooring repair.

This notice serves to make the public aware of the projects and solicit comments pursuant to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. The comment period is open for 30 days from the date of this announcement. To provide comments or learn more information about this project visit the federal grant public comment section of our website or contact Kuri Gill at i.Gill@oregon.gov">Kuri.Gill@oregon.gov or 503-986-0685.

The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 authorizes a program of federal matching grants, known as the Historic Preservation Fund, to assist the various states in carrying out historic preservation activities. The Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, and in Oregon, is administered through the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office. For information about the grants contact Kuri Gill at 503-986-0685 or by e-mail: i.Gill@oregon.gov">Kuri.Gill@oregon.gov.

The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) is pleased to announce that recent legislation has been signed by the governor to fund the Oregon Main Street Revitalization Grant (OMSRG). $5 million dollars will be available in 2022 and 2023 for a total of $10 million funded through the sale of lottery bonds.

The $10 million dollar investment in Oregon Main Street Network communities is a true indicator of the value of historic downtowns and the main street organizations in their communities. “Previous rounds of OMSRG have had an amazing impact on communities across Oregon,” stated Sheri Stuart, coordinator, Oregon Main Street. “They have put back into productive use long vacant or underused properties and have spurred further reinvestment in historic downtowns leading to increased vitality.”

The grants will provide up to $200,000 in matching funds for downtown revitalization efforts in communities participating in the Oregon Main Street Network. The OMSRG funds may be used to acquire, rehabilitate, and construct buildings on properties in designated downtown areas statewide.

Funded projects must facilitate community revitalization that will lead to private investment, job creation or retention, establishing or expanding viable businesses, or creating a stronger tax base. Projects may include façade improvement, accessibility enhancement, basic utilities, second floor renovations and more. Only organizations participating in the Oregon Main Street Network are eligible to apply. Projects must be within approved Main Street areas. Eligible organizations may collaborate with local governments and private property owners to apply for projects that will have the biggest benefit to the downtown.

Past projects include:

• Full restoration of several buildings, some decades vacant, including the Central Hotel in Burns, Merwyn Building in Astoria, Mills Garage in Independence, Au Franc Building in Port Orford, and IOOF Building in La Grande.
• Creation of new or improved residential units including eleven new apartments in Coos Bay, six apartments and retail upgrades in Cottage Grove, two projects to support a total of 24 units in Klamath Falls, 40 new units in Astoria, four new apartments in Tillamook, renovation of five apartments in Reedsport, three new spaces in The Dalles, and 10-12 new units in Woodburn.
• Façade restorations including a model block program coordinated by Revitalize Downtown Stayton that includes improvements on seven of nine properties in downtown. Other facade improvements include the Litch Building in Enterprise, Riviera Building in Astoria, Railroad Avenue buildings and The Coin in Oregon City, Morris Miles & Co Building in Newberg, and Alberta district in Portland.
• Structural and roof repairs including five properties in Reedsport, two buildings in Baker City, the historic Masonic Building in Bandon, the Hill Theater (antique store) in Hillsboro, the Bungalow Theater & Museum building in Woodburn, and one building each in Dallas and Weston. 
• Historic Theater acquisition and improvements including purchase of the Alger Theater in Lakeview, and improvements to the Liberty Theater in La Grande, Columbia Theater in St. Helens, OK Theatre in Enterprise, and Rivoli Theater in Pendleton. 

Applications will open in January of 2022 and there will be a spring a deadline. The Oregon Main Street Network will provide workshops and support to participating network organizations to navigate the application process. 

To find your local Oregon Main Street Network organization visit www.oregonheritage.org. You can also find previous grant guidelines there. New guidelines will be posted when the applications open in January, 2022. Contact Kuri Gill at i.gill@oregon.gov">kuri.gill@oregon.gov or 503-986-0685 for more information.

SALEM, Oregon — The Oregon State Parks and Recreation Commission will convene Sep. 14-15 via conference call. 

On Sep. 14, commissioners will attend a virtual work training session from 9 – 11 a.m.

On Sep. 15, commissioners will convene an executive session at 8:30 a.m. to discuss real estate and legal issues. Executive sessions are closed to the public. A business meeting will begin at 9:30 a.m. and will be open to the public.

Anyone may listen to the business meeting or work training; instructions on how to attend will be posted on the commission web page prior to the meeting. The business meeting includes time for informal public comment related to any items not on the agenda. Registration is required to speak at the meeting, and is available online at bit.ly/registerseptcommission. Time per speaker is limited to three minutes. Please submit written public comments by 5 p.m. Sep. 10 to is.havel@oregon.gov">chris.havel@oregon.gov. 

The full agenda and supporting documents are posted on the commission web page. Notable requests: 

• Approve transferring ownership of Cascadia State Park to Linn County, which has been operating the park since March 2019.
• Approve constructing a new water reservoir tank at Detroit Lake State Park to replace the one damaged in the 2020 Santiam Canyon wildfires.

• Begin the public process of amending the Oregon Administrative Rules to implement the following 2021 legislative directives:
  • Senate Bill 289 prohibits individuals convicted of a bias crime on public property from entering state parks for up to five years.
  • Senate Bill 794 requires a 25% surcharge on RV sites for out-of-state residents.
• Approve receipt of a $216,000 Land and Water Conservation Fund grant for the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department to produce the 2024-2028 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) that compiles visitation trends and other data used by recreation providers.

Anyone needing special accommodations to join the meeting should contact Denise Warburton, commission assistant, at least three days in advance: denise.warburton@oregon.gov or 503-986-0719. People who plan to present oral testimony are asked to email a copy of their statement to Warburton in advance.

The Oregon State Parks and Recreation Commission promotes outdoor recreation and heritage by establishing policies, adopting rules and setting the budget for the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. The seven members are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Oregon Senate. They serve four-year terms and meet several times a year at locations across the state. 

Oregon Heritage of Oregon Parks and Recreation Department is offering grants for the construction or restoration of veterans and war memorials.

Local governments and federally recognized Tribes are eligible to apply for work on monuments on public owned properties.

New monuments should acknowledge veterans and wars not already recognized in the community. Grants for restoration may be used for broken monuments, missing elements of monuments, or the related design elements of monuments for veterans or wars. Grants may also fund the addition of elements to existing monuments.

Projects must include the active participation of a veteran organization. 

A free, online workshop about the grant applications will be September 29, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Registration is required. The grant application deadline is December 10, 2021. 

Past funded projects include repair to the Doughboy monument in Astoria, a women veteran monument in Springfield, a new monument in Malin, and additions to the large memorial in Washington County.

For more information about the Veterans and War Memorials grant and other grant programs, visit www.oregonheritage.org or contact Kuri Gill at i.gill@oregon.gov">Kuri.gill@oregon.gov or 503-986-0685. 

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The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) will accept applications for the 2021 grant cycle from Sep. 1 – Oct. 29. The program provides matching grants to eligible state, tribal, and local governments for land acquisition, development and rehabilitation projects for public outdoor recreation areas and facilities. Approximately $4 million in reimbursement funds may be available for the 2021 cycle. 

The federally funded program is administered by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD). It is open to cities, counties, metropolitan service districts, park and recreation districts, port districts, tribal governments and Oregon state agencies.

OPRD will host a virtual technical assistance workshop set for 9:30-11:30 a.m. Sep. 10. Register at zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_eogJ4FJtRa-ZW6V2AEs_kQ. 

Additional information about the LWCF, including the grant manual, application instructions and program schedule, is available at oprdgrants.org. New applicants must first request an account via the website before they are granted application access.

OPRD staff and the LWCF advisory committee will review applications November 2021 – February 2022, and submit recommended projects for funding to the Oregon State Parks Commission. The recommendation then goes to the National Park Service for final approval. 

Since 1964, this national grant program has awarded over $55 million in grant funds for Oregon recreational areas and facilities. More information is available on the oregon.gov/oprd. 

For information, call or email Nohemi Enciso at 503-480-9092 or nohemi.enciso@oregon.gov.