**UPDATE**

Oregon Drivers Will Soon Be Able to Pump Their Own Fuel

Oregon will soon join 48 other states where drivers can pump their own fuel — although those who do not want to get out of their vehicles can still choose full service.

The Oregon Senate passed House Bill 2426 on a 16-9 vote on June 21, three months after the House passed it 47-10. The bill goes to Gov. Tina Kotek. It takes effect upon her signature, though the bill empowers the state fire marshal to conduct a public campaign about safe practices first.

The bill still will require stations to reserve half their pumps to provide full service to customers who are older, have disabilities or simply prefer to have attendants do the work.

Together with New Jersey, Oregon has barred self-service at gasoline stations since 1951, though lawmakers have relaxed that restriction in recent years.

In 2015, legislators allowed self-serve gas during nighttime hours in rural and coastal counties. In 2017, they extended this allowance to all hours in rural counties, mostly east of the Cascades. In 2020, 2021 and 2022, Oregon’s fire marshal temporarily lifted the self-service ban statewide during emergencies such as wildfires and heat waves.

Voters retained a ban on self-service in 1982, when they rejected a ballot initiative to repeal it.

New Rent Control Bill Signed Into Law Takes Effect Immediately

A new statewide rent control bill signed into law last week means tenants won’t again be hit with the nearly 15% rent hike the state allowed this year.

Senate Bill 611 saw housing and tenants rights advocates pushing for greater consumer protections to prevent displacement, while landlords and property management groups argued any increased regulations would make the state a less attractive place for developers who might otherwise add to Oregon’s much-needed housing stock

A statewide 2019 rent control law specified an equation for maximum rent increases in a given year: 7% plus inflation. That means that this year, landlords are allowed to increase rents for existing tenants by up to nearly 15%. (According to data from Zillow, median rent in Oregon is $1,767, so the average renter could see increases of up to $265 a month.)

)SB 611, introduced by Sen. Wlnsvey Campos (D-Aloha) this year, originally set the cap at 8%, or 3% plus inflation — whichever of the two is lower. The bill has been amended so the cap is now 10% or 7% plus inflation, whichever is less. Landlords are also restricted to one rent increase a year.

Landlords who try to increase rent beyond the cap would be compelled to pay tenants the equivalent of three months’ rent plus damages.

“This is a homelessness prevention bill,” Cameron Herrington of the Oregon Housing Alliance said during a public hearing last month. “It will create stability for renter households in all parts of our state by protecting tenants from extreme rent increases while allowing landlords a fair, reasonable and predictable ability to increase rents as and if they need to in order to cover expenses.”

A statewide 2019 rent control law specified an equation for maximum rent increases in a given year: 7% plus inflation. That means that this year, landlords are allowed to increase rents for existing tenants by up to nearly 15%. (According to data from Zillow, median rent in Oregon is $1,767, so the average renter could see increases of up to $265 a month.)

Sen. Wlnsvey Campos (D-Aloha)SB 611, introduced by Sen. Wlnsvey Campos (D-Aloha) this year, originally set the cap at 8%, or 3% plus inflation — whichever of the two is lower. The bill has been amended so the cap is now 10% or 7% plus inflation, whichever is less. Landlords are also restricted to one rent increase a year.

Landlords who try to increase rent beyond the cap would be compelled to pay tenants the equivalent of three months’ rent plus damages.

“This is a homelessness prevention bill,” Cameron Herrington of the Oregon Housing Alliance said during a public hearing last month. “It will create stability for renter households in all parts of our state by protecting tenants from extreme rent increases while allowing landlords a fair, reasonable and predictable ability to increase rents as and if they need to in order to cover expenses.”

SB 611 might also provide some minor relief from the outsized influence of private equity firms that increasingly buy up housing stock and rapidly increase rent while aggressively filing evictions. It is a practice Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley has fought by introducing the End Hedge Fund Control of American Homes Act late last year, calling such practices “predatory.”

Hedge fund influence can drive up market rates, and previously, there were no regulations in place for the rent landlords can ask of new tenants, which is seen as a motivator for no-cause evictions – for example, a landlord seeking to charge more than a 15% increase in rent could simply serve a no-cause eviction to a current tenant, then rent the unit out at a much higher rate to the incoming renter. SB 611 specifies that if a landlord serves a no-cause eviction with a 30-day notice, the rent they charge the next tenant is capped at a 7% increase plus inflation.

The bill declares an emergency and will take effect immediately.  (SOURCE)

Veterans from across the United States, and some from the UK and Puerto Rico, are in Oregon competing in the National Veterans Wheelchair Games.

The National Veterans Wheelchair Games is the world’s largest annual wheelchair sports and rehabilitation event solely for military veterans. The event demonstrates the unstoppable character of veterans and seeks to foster wider respect and opportunities for all people with disabilities.

The National Veterans Wheelchair Games is open to all U.S. veterans with spinal cord injuries, amputations, multiple sclerosis, or other central neurological conditions who require a wheelchair for athletic competition. Every year, hundreds of American heroes from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and the post-9/11 era compete in this celebration of sport, courage and camaraderie.

The event, which began on Tuesday, honors servicemen and women and displays the skill of paraplegic and quadriplegic veterans across a number of team and individual sports.

The competitions are being held around the Portland area at the Oregon Convention Center, Portland International Raceway, KingPins in Beaverton, OMSI and Mt. Hood Community College Aquatic Center.

The events are free to attend and runs through July 9th. MORE INFO: https://wheelchairgames.org/about/event-venues/

$5 Million State Fund To Protect Community Drinking Water

Conservation groups are celebrating a big win in the Oregon legislature – a new $5 million fund that will help communities protect their source drinking water.

Communities on the Oregon Coast are particularly interested in acquiring the forested lands that supply their drinking water, according to a release from Sustainable Northwest.

“Protecting the streams, creeks and rivers that supply a community’s drinking water is an incredibly effective way to ensure high quality and reliable quantities of clean drinking water to communities and water suppliers,” the release state.

The new fund will be administered by the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, and will allow Oregon to access hundreds of millions in federal matching funds.

“This program is well poised to allow communities to decide how the forests providing their drinking water are managed and cared for,” Sustainable Northwest Forest Program Manager Daniel Wear said. “Land ownership is an effective way to connect communities to the water they rely on for daily life.”

“This new fund opens up hundreds of millions in federal matching funds for Oregon communities to protect watersheds and secure safe and clean drinking water,” Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts Executive Director Kelley Beamer said. “Thank you to our legislative champions, Reps. Helm and Owens, for prioritizing this new grant program and working to expand access to clean, reliable, and affordable drinking water across the state.”

The funding will provide $4 million for communities to acquire land or purchase conservation easements on properties, while also establishing a $1 million fund for projects to apply for loan repayment on projects that would have previously qualified for this funding.

The following statements are provided by Sustainable Northwest and the Coalition for Oregon Land Trusts.

About the Coalition for Oregon Land Trusts – The Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts (COLT) serves and strengthens the land trust community in Oregon. At COLT, we build connections and advance policies that help protect our natural world—our water, wildlife and open space—for all people, forever. This work helps our coalition members—30 conservation organizations around the state—do what they do best: protect wildlife and wild places, defend working farms and forests, provide recreation and parks, drive climate solutions and science, champion clean water for all and engage communities to protect our natural world.

About Sustainable Northwest – At Sustainable Northwest, we believe healthy, working lands are good for nature, people and local economies. We partner with rural communities and Tribal nations to solve natural resource challenges and build economic opportunities. Founded in 1994, our work focuses on working lands – forests, farms, and ranches. We promote healthy working lands, clean energy, smart water use, and markets for sustainable wood products throughout the greater Northwest.

Through this broad spectrum of work, we help to ensure both rural communities and urban centers have healthy landscapes, resilient economies, and engaged communities. We work on the ground in communities, collaborating to create long-term benefits.

The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Says A hiker stumbled on the Multnomah Falls trail and fell down an embankment Saturday afternoon.

A father of five from Beaverton died after falling from a hiking trail at Multnomah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge Saturday afternoon, according to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO).

Gerardo Hernandez-Rodriguez, 41, was hiking on the trail beyond the Benson Bridge near the first switchback when he stumbled and fell down an embankment around 1:30 p.m., witnesses said. The group the man was with reported that they lost sight of him after he fell, according to MCSO.

Sheriff’s deputies, the Corbett Fire District and a U.S. Forest Service ranger searched for the man. Due to the “inaccessible” and steep terrain, Gresham police were called in to operate a drone, MCSO said. A deputy searched the base of the cliff on the south side of the Historic Columbia River Highway, directly below the area that Hernandez-Rodriguez fell, and found him.

It took rescuers about an hour to get to him. Hernandez-Rodriguez died from injuries from the fall, MCSO said.

Deputies initially believed that Hernandez-Rodriguez fell 100-150 feet, but an investigation showed that he fell nearly 200 feet, the sheriff’s office said on Monday.

MCSO said alcohol impairment was likely a factor in his fall. The agency reminded others to make sure to be safe on the trails.

“This isn’t just going on a walk, this is a trail, this is a hiking trail, and so we encourage people to come prepared for an actual hike, it’s not a paved walk. it’s a hike,” said John Plock with MCSO.

Fireworks May Have Sparked Wildfire South of Waldport

A wildfire that has since been contained in Lincoln County south of the town of Waldport late Sunday afternoon may have been sparked by fireworks according to fire officials.

“Although the investigation is still ongoing, the deputy state fire marshal did recover remnants of firework mortars near the seat of the fire,” Central Oregon Coast Fire & Rescue

Dry and windy conditions contributed to the fast spread of the fire, according to the Yachats Rural Fire Protection District.

Firefighters were dispatched to a brush fire near Governor Patterson State Park just before 3 p.m. The first crews to arrive found the fire burning alongside Highway 101, as well as down a cliff about 20 feet below the highway in an area with vegetation on the beach.

The Lincoln County Emergency Management had advised residents to evacuate immediately due to “extreme fire danger” around 4:30 p.m. Emergency management officials had issued Level 3 – Go Now and Level 2 – Be Set notices along Highway 101.

Crews were able to make an initial knockdown of the fire around 5:30 p.m.

All evacuation orders were lifted just after 6 p.m. and residents were told they could return to their homes. The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office gave the all clear on their emergency notification system about 90 minutes after the first order was issued.

The fire was estimated to be 0.25 acres in a 650-foot stretch of vegetation, according to the Yachats Rural Fire Protection District.

Highway 101 was closed for about five hours. Lanes were getting through by 8:00 p.m. according to TripCheck.

Officials remind residents to be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice in case of a wildfire. Fireworks are prohibited on beaches and within state parks in Oregon.

Oregon’s EV Rebate Program Out of Money and Remains Suspended

Oregon’s popular electric vehicle rebate program is out of money and will remain suspended for the rest of the year, potentially impacting EV sales and the state’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals.

That’s after lawmakers recently failed to pass essential legislation that would have provided an additional $30 million to restart the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s Clean Vehicle Rebate program. The program’s suspension began May 1, and funds likely won’t be replenished until March 2024.

The Clean Vehicle Rebate program offers two levels of rebates, up to $7,500 combined, based on a person’s income. It was designed to encourage the purchase or lease of zero-emissions vehicles as a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions statewide. Federal rebate programs are still available to Oregonians.

Residents who have purchased an EV on or before April 30 still have six months to apply for the rebate. However, if funding runs out, residents will be put on a waiting list and receive rebates once the program is replenished.

Erica Timm is the Oregon program’s coordinator. She said the suspension is a sign of the program’s success. She said Oregonians are making the switch from gas-powered vehicles to electric ones at quicker rates compared to other states.

“Oregon is one of the top five states in terms of electric vehicle adoption. And based on previous registration sales data as well as our participation data, we know those electric vehicle sales have been growing in recent years,” she said.

Timm said recent reports show 15% of overall vehicle sales in Oregon were electric vehicles in the first quarter of 2023. As of June, the state program has issued more than $75 million in rebates to more than 27,000 applicants since the program began in late 2018, according to DEQ data.

Timm said current projections show the program needs to double the amount it receives to prevent more suspensions. Currently, the program receives at least $12 million a year from the state’s vehicle privilege tax. DEQ projects it will receive $17.5 million in total for the rebate program in 2023, but needed $30 million to meet the demand.

If the program wants to avoid another suspension in 2024, it will need about $33 million for rebates, Timm said. By 2030, it will triple to more than $90 million.

“We are currently in the process of connecting with interested parties of the Oregon Clean Vehicle Rebate program to discuss just what potential adaptations to support the long-term sustainability of the rebate program could be,” she said.

Oregon Heritage MentorCorps Assistance Applications Now Open

Salem, OR—Heritage organizations around the state are now eligible to apply for free professional technical assistance from the Oregon Heritage MentorCorps program. MentorCorps stems from a pilot program funded through an IMLS grant in the early 2010s. It has since grown into a fully actualized technical assistance program of the Oregon Heritage Commission that supports the “Pursue Best Practices” goal of the 2020-2025 Oregon Heritage Plan. Organizations can expect to work on projects alongside volunteer professionals with backgrounds in museum collections management, curatorship, archives, preservation, heritage interpretation, non-profit management, disaster preparedness and much more.

The role of MentorCorps is to assist with projects that are challenging the expertise of the staff at these organizations. This can include guidance in project management or planning, grant reviews, collections assessments, policy development, or simply prioritization of work if folks do not know where to start. Fielding a cadre of mentors with training and experience in the field that are geographically and technically diverse, there are very few projects that MentorCorps cannot assist with in some way.

“MentorCorps’ goal is to support organizations in achieving better practices on their way to best practices,” says Cam Amabile, Technical Resources Coordinator for Oregon Heritage. “Our program is meant to serve as a guide to resources, or a stepping stone on the way to a fully implemented plan or action. We aim to be a program that helps, particularly small organizations with limited capacities, meet their mission without being overwhelmed. To do that we pair them with our experienced practitioners as guides, with the added benefit of continuing to hone the mentor’s skills.”

This service is offered free to any heritage organization operating within the state of Oregon, but primarily serves museums, libraries, archives, and cultural institutions. Applications open July 3, 2023 and close on August 15, 2023 for the 2023-2024 assistance year. Applications can be found at: https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/oh/pages/mentorcorps.a…

Organizations can reach out to Oregon Heritage Technical Resources Coordinator, Cam Amabile with questions about projects or applications at 971-720-8998 or cam.amabile@oprd.oregon.gov.