OFFICE OF OUTDOOR RECREATION ROUNDUP
This guest post comes from Cailin O'Brien-Feeney, Director of the Oregon Office of Outdoor Recreation (OREC) with a goal of sharing news, resources and information with the state’s outdoor recreation industry. OOA and OREC partner on these updates and share what we see with our friends and members at OOA.
Office of Outdoor Recreation Advisory Council
Creation of a permanent advisory council to the Office of Outdoor Recreation is in the works, with appointments planned for later this spring. A first step in that process is to formalize the rules by which the group will promote and facilitate outdoor recreation priorities across the state with government, outdoor recreation industry and other outdoor recreation stakeholders. Draft rules are open for comment through April 8th here: https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/PRP/pages/PRP-rulemaking.aspx. A plan for recruitment and appointments to this volunteer board will be announced once the rule is finalized.
State Boards and Commissions Recruitment
Speaking of volunteer opportunities, did you know Oregon has over 250 different boards and commissions? These groups make decisions and guide policy on a wide range of topics, including economic development, conservation education and more that impact everyday life in Oregon. Governor Brown has made a commitment making diverse appointments to these boards, and there are several upcoming recruitment sessions aiming to build a pool of interested candidates. Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/boards-commissions-recruitment-event-tickets-145913347751
Wildfires and Outdoor Recreation
Have you wondered what the impact of the 2020 wildfires were on your favorite outdoor destination? Or perhaps planning a trip, and not sure what might be open or closed? Recognizing these as common questions, and anticipating another busy recreation season, a group of state and federal agencies built a map showing just that: https://wildfire.oregon.gov/recreation-impacts. Leading collaborative work to help communities and recreation economies recover is priority for the Office of Outdoor Recreation in 2020.
And speaking of recovery, Oregon’s Senators Wyden and Merkley recently announced $40m of funding to support forest health and recreation infrastructure in the Pacific Northwest: https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-wyden-announce-40-million-in-federal-funding-to-help-maintain-healthy-pacific-northwest-forests-and-support-local-recreation-economies-2021
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