What is the Opal Creek Promise Grant?
Since the Upper North Santiam Canyon was designated as the Opal Creek Wilderness and Scenic Recreation Area in 1996, the community has worked tirelessly to get economic support for local communities. After nearly three decades, Congress, in partnership with the United States Forest Service, is now delivering on its promise to give Marion County $15 million to invest in economic growth and prosperity in the Santiam Canyon.
The Opal Creek Promise was made on November 12, 1996 in the last paragraphs of Section 1023 of the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996.
On September 21, 2023, Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley announced in a press release that Oregon Business Development Department and the US Forest Service had signed an agreement to fund the full $15 million to fulfill the Opal Creek Promise.
Marion County is now working to implement this promised economic development funding down from the state and into the community.
Public Outreach Results
Marion County is pleased to announce the results of its Opal Creek Promise public outreach initiative in the North Santiam Canyon, aimed at identifying community priorities for the allocation of funding for economic development for the area known as the Opal Creek Wilderness Economic Grant Program. The County has over 100 responses from residents, reflecting strong community engagement and interest in shaping the economic future of the canyon.
The public outreach effort included a survey, interviews, open houses, tabling at community events, and direct business outreach, allowing a wide range of voices to be heard.
We are extremely grateful for the robust participation from the North Santiam Canyon community. The feedback and insights we have gathered are invaluable in guiding our efforts to make investments that reflect the needs and aspirations of residents.
What We Heard
Through the outreach process, the County heard that the community prioritizes shovel-ready projects and values a balance for economic development that serves local residents with projects that can attract visitors to support local businesses. Public comments also indicated that building resilience and preparedness was a community priority.
Respondents indicated a preference for physical capital projects that support organizations in the community. This includes infrastructure, public facilities, and recreational amenities.
For programmatic investments, respondents supported increasing capacity for new businesses and residents, such as, business technical assistance and workforce training. Additionally, respondents supported the broadening of the economic ecosystem through business district formation, marketing, and place making to improve community vitality.
The full summary of public outreach results can be viewed here:
Opal Creek Promise Implementation Engagement Summary
Next Steps:
Marion County is committed to ensuring that economic development funding is utilized in a manner that maximizes benefits for the community. The Marion County Board of Commissioners utilizes the public's feedback in their decisions for allocation of the funding.
The next step involves using the data collected from the public outreach to draft an implementation plan. This plan aims to establish a unified vision for economic development.
The implementation plan focuses on identifying key projects and programs that align with the community's priorities, ensuring that the economic development grant is invested in initiatives that matter most to the residents of the North Santiam Canyon. This plan will then be submitted to our State and Federal Partners to detail how the county intends to utilize the funds to support economic development and recovery.
How to Get Involved:
We look forward to working closely with the community as we move forward in this process. To learn more about this project, please visit the Marion County Economic Development website at www.co.marion.or.us/CS/EconomicDevelopment.
Contact: Marion County Economic Development Program, MCEconomicDevelopment@co.marion.or.us (503-588-7975)
