Coastal Caucus Convenes Public and Private Sector in Coos Bay
The fifth annual Oregon Coast Economic Summit took place at the Mill Casino-Hotel in Coos Bay. The summit was instigated by Senator Arnie Roblan (D-Coos Bay) to provide a platform for coastal community state legislators (the Coastal Caucus) to come together to share information, ideas and collaboration for the benefit of their constituents... read more
Policy Updates
ConnectOregon VI Projects Approved by OTC
On August 19, the Oregon Transportation Commission (OTC) approved 39 multimodal projects from around the state for $49,518,726 in funding, provided by the ConnectOregon VI program. Oregon's counties were selected for a variety of projects, including an airport rappel base building in Union... read more
Department of Administrative Services Seeks to Award Grant to Low-interest Loan Program for Onsite Septic
The State of Oregon, acting by and through Department of Administrative Services, Procurement Services (DAS PS) on behalf of Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is seeking to award a grant to develop and implement a low-interest loan program for the purpose of repairing, replacing... read more
Communities Awarded $2.5 Million for Transportation, Land Use Projects
Fifteen communities across Oregon - including two counties - have been awarded Transportation and Growth Management Program grants to fund transportation and land use planning projects. The Transportation and Growth Management Program... read more
Urban Renewal Discussed
Stakeholders from both redevelopment associations which use urban renewal as a tool to remove blighted areas, and overlapping taxing jurisdictions which can lose property tax revenues when urban renewal plans are imposed, met informally to discuss the future of the concept and impending expiration... read more
Veterans News from NACo Annual Conference
At NACo's 2016 Annual Conference in Long Beach, California five Oregon commissioners led the charge to amend the NACo platform with the insertion of issues and policy areas that are critically important to veterans and their families. This effort culminated in platform changes to six NACo steering committees: Transportation; Finance, Pensions and.... read more
DEQ Announces 2016 Materials Management Grant Round
Approximately $1.2 million in grant funding will soon be available to projects supporting local solid and household hazardous waste planning, prevention and recovery. The grants will be made through the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality's Materials Management Program's 2016 grant round. Last year, the program awarded nearly $600,000 to fifteen projects... read more
Funding Opportunity Announcement - Water Resources
The Oregon Water Resources Department's Water Resources Development Program is currently soliciting grant applications for water conservation, reuse and storage feasibility studies.  The goal of the Water Resources Development Program is to help individuals and communities address instream and out-of-stream... read more
2016 Oregon Trade Mission to China Announced
Oregon-China Sister State Relations Council (OCSSRC) is organizing a delegation of Oregon State Legislators and members of Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) to participate in the 2016 Oregon Trade Mission to China this November. In order to enhance economic and trade relations between Oregon... read more

News
Audit finds Department of Forestry struggling after years of large wildfire seasons
Oregon's Department of Forestry has been stretched too thin - both in its budget and staffing - over the past three severe fire seasons, according to an audit released Tuesday... read more
Putting Oregon's records law to the test
Two weeks ago, the state's top lawyer revealed how she wants to fix what she calls a "car wreck" - Oregon's troubled public records law.  That's how Oregon Attorney... read more
Can Counties Fix Rural America's Endless Recession?
A blower arches several stories into the sky, spraying enough wood chips to form a small mountain. It's part of the Georgia-Pacific paper mill in the small Oregon... read more
NACo Encourages Continued Support for Renewable Wood Energy
As a county commissioner for the past 19 years, I have seen an enormous amount of change take place in my community of Columbia County, Ore. In order to preserve... read more
BLM Approves Path Forward to Increase Timber Harvest and Environmental Protections
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) approved an historic path forward for local communities in Western Oregon with Resource Management Plans... read more
County cancels meeting on bid to reclassify farmland
Oregon's Clackamas County canceled a meeting this week on its bid to redesignate farmland following critical remarks from communities, a conservation district and a... read more
Oregon Timber: Harvests decline
After two years at slightly above four billion board feet, Oregon's timber harvest dropped below that in 2015 to a number on par with the 2012 harvest, according to the Oregon... read more
Oregon Counties Get Rental Assistance Funds from OHA for Veterans
The Oregon Health Authority (OHA), in partnership with the Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs (ODVA), has launched the Veterans Rental Assistance Program... read more
Public Safety Council May get Coordinator
The Deschutes County Local Public Safety Coordinating Council indicated tentative interest Tuesday in participating in a new statewide plan to provide professional... read more
For a complete list of news and information visit oregoncounties.org
Events
ODVA Hosting 2016 Veteran Benefit Expo September 8th
September 8, 2016 | Salem, Oregon | 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

The Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs will host its Second Annual 2016 Veteran Benefit Expo on Thursday, September 8th.
The purpose of the Veteran Benefit Expo is to provide a "one-stop shop" experience for veterans and their families... read more
Health and Human Services Steering Committee Meeting
September 9, 2016 | Salem, Oregon | 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Join the Health and Human Services Steering Committee at the Local Government Center (or by phone) to discuss the latest issues that surround the needs of individual Oregonians.
AOC Logo Vertica Transparent
AOC Day
September 12, 2016 | Salem, Oregon | 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

AOC Steering Committees, Legislative Committee, and the Board of Directors will meet in Salem starting at 8:00 a.m. on September 12, 2016. Join us for robust policy discussions! 
Capitol Cherry Blossoms
Legislative Committee Days
September 21-23, 2016 | Salem, Oregon

Join AOC staff for informational hearings on topics that could lead to legislation in the 2017 legislative, hear updates on implementations of past legislation, reports from state agencies and Task Forces.
WEBINAR: How to Invest with eConnectDirect
September 27, 2016 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

During this webinar eConnectDirect will introducing the Public Funds Investor Guide, a free online resource for treasurers and financial officers of all experience levels to help fulfill their investment responsibilities.  The Association of... read more
AOC District Meetings
September - October, 2016 

Eight AOC district meetings will be held across the state in September/October. Agenda items include hot topics, affiliate/associate reports, & AOC business... view meeting dates
For a complete list of events visit oregoncounties.org
NACo News
County Officials Attend NACo Annual Conference 
Twenty-two county officials from Oregon joined over 3,000 county elected officials from across the United States July 22-25, 2016 at the National Association of Counties (NACo) Annual Conference in Los Angeles County.  NACo's Annual Conference provides county officials with the opportunity to vote on NACo's...  read more
Oregon County Officials Appointed to NACo Leadership
Oregon County officials received a number of leadership committee appointments in the National Association of Counties (NACo), which unites America's 3,069... read more
Members approve dozens of new policy resolutions with scant debate
NACo members adopted more than 100 policy resolutions at the Annual Business Meeting. There were many new resolutions adopted for the first time at the 2016... read more
Josephine County Receives NACo Achievement Award for its Veterans Music Program
"It all started at a veterans' art show in Josephine County, Ore. There wasn't any music, so Lisa Pickart, the county's veterans service officer, fetched a guitar from her car... read more
Medical, criminal trends converge to create opioid and heroin epidemic
The opioid medication and heroin abuse epidemic has reached nearly every county in the United States, and as Sam Quinones tells it in Dreamland: The True Tale of... read more
Counties feeling squeeze from tight budgets, increasing service demands
Continued fiscal constraints amid ongoing service demands and growing state and federal mandates are stressing America's counties, according to a new survey of... read more
Register today for the 2016 RAC Sumposium
Join NACo for the 2016 RAC Symposium,  December 7-9 , at the Hilton Double Tree in Leon County (Tallahassee), Fla. This year's symposium will bring together county... read more
For more information on NACo news visit naco.org
Partner Spotlight
CityCounty Insurance Services
Member-owned and governed, CIS is available only to the members of the League of Oregon Cities and the Association of Oregon Counties. CIS brings its members together to meet the unique risk management and financing needs of local public entities, offering Workers' Compensation, Property, Liability and Employee Benefits. Learn more
The Last Word
Q: How do you catch a squirrel? A: Climb up a tree and act like a nut.

As always, please feel free to submit your story ideas, announcements, recipes, events, photos and job changes to your  Oregon  Trails  staff for inclusion in the next riveting edition. 
 
Your  Oregon Trails staff,
 
Laura Cleland & Mckenzie Farrell
Association of  Oregon  Counties

Representing Oregon counties since 1906, the Association of Oregon Counties unites counties to advocate, communicate, and educate through information sharing and consensus development.