[Heritage] Oregon Heritage News 2020-08-27
INFO Heritage * OPRD
Heritage.Info at oregon.gov
Thu Aug 27 15:12:05 PDT 2020
Oregon Heritage News 2020-08-27
* Message from Oregon Heritage Director regarding staff and service updates
* Relief fund for Black individuals, Black-owned businesses, and Black-led nonprofit organizations open for applications
* Oregon Health Authority grant opportunity
* Disaster preparedness reminder
* Net Inclusion 2020 Webinar Series
* Free Connecting to Collections webinar, basics of collection photography, Sept. 9
* National Preservation Institute (NPI) offers online trainings
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Message from Oregon Heritage Director regarding staff and service updates
August 20, 2020
Dear Valued Heritage Partners,
As you know, Oregon Heritage, which includes the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), is a division of Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD). The revenue sources OPRD relies upon (lottery, park user fees, and RV fees) dropped dramatically after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of state parks, restaurants, and bars earlier this spring. As a result, OPRD leadership made the difficult decision to implement layoffs at OPRD Headquarters in Salem this past June. Oregon Heritage took a 30% reduction in staff, which translates to the vacation of four positions, including one that was already vacant. Sadly, we were forced to say goodbye to Joy Sears, Beth Dehn, and Shane James. I want to emphasize that the departures of each of these fine professionals were due solely to the layoffs and subsequent staff shifting based on seniority. It remains my greatest regret that I could not find a way to keep them. The technical expertise and professional integrity of each of these individuals are unmatched. They are also amazing people and we miss them very much.
In addition to these departures and for a completely different reason, we are also losing longtime state archaeologist Dennis Griffin, to retirement on August 31st. Congratulations, Dennis! While acknowledging that Dennis is absolutely irreplaceable, we will be initiating a recruitment for that position this fall.
The reductions we are experiencing at OPRD will not be resolved quickly. Until further notice, please use the information below to as a guide for who to contact at Oregon Heritage and how services will be impacted.
STAFF
OPRD Headquarters building in Salem is closed to the public, but not closed to staff. Health and safety precautions are in place there, and some staff are in the office at least part of the time. Most of the staff, however, is teleworking from home at this time, and will be at least through the end of the year. Many staff members are now using their work cell phone exclusively, so please check our website and email signature lines for new phone numbers.
National Register program - Robert Olguin
Above-ground Compliance - Jason Allen
Special Assessment and Technical Assistance - Robert Olguin
Federal Tax Program - Robert Olguin
Survey - Jason Allen
Archaeological Compliance, permits, interagency relations, and agreements - John Pouley
Archaeological Compliance, ORRA, data management, and date sharing - Jamie French
Grants, Certified Local Government, Communications, Cultural Trust, Historic Cemeteries - Kuri Gill
Oregon Heritage Commission, Website, Facebook, Heritage News, and MentorCorps - Katie Henry
Oregon Main Street Network and Oregon Heritage Exchange - Sheri Stuart
SERVICES
All programs will experience delayed response times, limited travel, virtual meetings, and cancelled events. Cancellations for specific events will be posted on our website.
Compliance
* Staff will not respond to all requests for review;
* Opportunities for "expedited review" will be very limited, if not unavailable;
* Expect limited capacity to review and craft new Programmatic Agreements;
* Expect limited availability for meetings, site visits, and frequent consultation.
Grants
* Grant programs funded solely by Lottery dollars have been placed on hold until at least next spring. That includes Diamonds in the Rough, Preserving Oregon, Veterans and War Memorials, the Elisabeth Walton Potter Preservation Scholarship, and the Fellowship;
* The Main Street Revitalization Grant Fund will not be receiving the expected $5 million in Lottery-bond-backed revenue in 2021, but we are looking for other funding sources;
* Other grant programs are operating with additional flexibility for timelines and scopes of work.
CLG and Oregon Main Street
* Fewer trainings;
* Meetings and trainings conducted remotely;
* Otherwise operating normally.
MISSION
We have no intention of letting COVID-19 divert us permanently from our mission to administer federal preservation programs and to provide statewide leadership in the areas of historic preservation, archaeology, and cultural heritage. We will continue to
* Focus on those activities best aligned with our mission that reach the most people and do the most good;
* Constantly re-evaluate our staff and funding resources;
* Track the impact of heritage programs on organizations and by organizations;
* Acknowledge excellence in the heritage fields through the Main Street Excellence in Downtown and Oregon Heritage Excellence award programs.
Help Us Help You!
You can help us navigate this challenging time by
* Planning Ahead! Please allow for the full review period for your projects and 2-4 weeks, or more, to schedule meetings;
* Please ensure your submittals are complete. That will help you avoid a request for additional information at 30 days instead of clearance.
* Telling us ahead-of-time when submitting large documents, or large numbers of individual documents;
* Using established procedures, such as Go Digital. These help us work faster and more efficiently from remote locations;
* Being patient please!
* Being creative! Cost-sharing, partnerships, external funding sources, collaboration - any ideas on ways to leverage the work we do for you, and with you, are welcome.
Thank you, and be well,
Chrissy Curran
Oregon Heritage Director, Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer
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Relief fund for Black individuals, Black-owned businesses, and Black-led nonprofit organizations open for applications
$62 million in CARES Act funds available for Black Oregonians economically impacted by Covid-19 including individuals, businesses, and nonprofits.
The Oregon Cares Fund is managing the grant program. All grants must be awarded before December 30, 2020.
For more information or to apply visit here<https://thecontingent.org/oregon-cares/>.
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Oregon Health Authority grant opportunity
On August 18, 2020 OHA opened grant applications<https://www.oregon.gov/oha/covid19/Pages/equity-grants-covid-19.aspx> to not-for-profit organizations statewide and Oregon's nine federally recognized Tribes and the Urban Indian Health Program for grants flowing from legislatively-directed $45 million in federal CARES Act coronavirus relief funds.
The program will provide grants to not for-profit-organizations and tribal communities. These grants can be used to help people address:
* Health and economic disruptions. Examples of this could include: Providing thermometers, personal protective items, wage relief, child care support, business consulting, and technology needs, to improve access to telehealth and distance learning.
* Food insecurity and housing. Examples of this could include: Providing food, shelter, transportation, home heating and cooling costs, and outdoor gear for situations of homelessness.
* Safety and violence prevention. Examples could include: Providing emergency motel vouchers for people experiencing child abuse or domestic violence, culturally and linguistically appropriate services that address domestic violence, and social life skills programs for parents to address stress, depression and the need to take care of their own well-being.
For more information and to apply visit here<https://www.oregon.gov/oha/covid19/Pages/equity-grants-covid-19.aspx>.
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Net Inclusion 2020 Webinar Series
The Net Inclusion Conference has been a staple in the Digital Inclusion community for years, bringing hundreds of practitioners, advocates, academics, Internet service providers, and policymakers together to share their knowledge.
With social distancing in place, NDIA will host the "Net Inclusion 2020 Webinar Series" to replace the conference.
This Series will include eight one hour webinars, every Wednesday at 11am PT starting September 16th through November 4th. All webinars will include an optional 30 minutes after wrap up for an information conversation with panelists and fellow participants. These webinars will be interactive panel discussions with expert practitioners from the field and partners with resources to share.
While panelists will be announced soon, here are the webinar titles:
Date Topic
9/16 Digital Inclusion 101 - the what, the why and how to advocate
9/23 Research and data to convince locally, to advocate with state and federal policymakers and to allocate limited resources.
9/30 Racial equity and digital inclusion
10/7 Local government digital equity strategies
10/14 What works? New research about the effectiveness of digital adoption and skills intervention strategies
10/21 What new digital inclusion models (partners and funding) are coming together due to the pandemic?
10/28 Coalitions - Who's at the table? Who is convening? How are strategic decisions made?
11/4 Final Plenary - What's different now and vision for future?
Registration is free but required<https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_FnUwT_bTTH-2_audjYAqQw>; additional information is available on the NDIA webpage<https://www.digitalinclusion.org/net-inclusion-2020-webinar-series/>.
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Free Connecting to Collections webinar, basics of collection photography, Sept. 9
Basics of Collection Photography
Sept. 9, 2-3pm ET (11-12 PST)
Accurate photography is essential for preservation, access, and care of collections. This webinar is an introduction to basic practices for collection photography. This webinar aims to give participants the tools needed to:
Set up or improve a photography space
Select equipment, tools, and software
Capture images
Select archival file formats
Record metadata
Recognize and address common issues when photographic collections
These concepts will be reinforced with examples and case-studies to help participants understand the core concepts. Technology is rapidly changing, so understanding the reasons behind equipment choice is vital for cost-savings and longevity. References and selected supply lists will be provided.
Register here.<https://www.connectingtocollections.org/basics-of-collection-photography/>
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National Preservation Institute (NPI) offers online trainings
The NPI Board of Directors and staff announced the launch of their first online training courses<http://www.ne16.com/t/2366347/32138839/2710126/2/1001784/?x=527a5846> and their return to providing continuing education and professional training in historic preservation and cultural resource management.
For a list of available modules visit https://training.npi.org/.
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Share your photos of Oregon's heritage on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter using #oregonheritage.
Oregon Heritage News is a service of Oregon Heritage, a division of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. The news editor can be contacted at heritage.info at oregon.gov<mailto:heritage.info at oregon.gov>.
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