Governor’s Task Force on the Outdoors in Newport, Oct. 2

NEWPORT, Ore. – The Governor’s Task Force on the Outdoors will hold their fourth meeting of the year 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Oct. 2 in the Gleason room of the Oregon Coast Aquarium, 2820 SE Ferry Slip Road, Newport. The meeting is open to the public. On the agenda: addressing the Oregon Conservation Strategy; an overview of some of the social, wildlife and environmental considerations of outdoor recreation; and time for public comments. View the full agenda online. Task force members will gather Oct. 1 to tour Cape Perpetua, which is about 26 miles south of Newport. The meeting is the fourth in a planned series; subsequent meetings will be held throughout Oregon. The group met for their inaugural meeting in May at Silver Falls State Park, near Silverton. Gov. Brown established the task force earlier this year, with the directive to explore long-term strategies for elevating outdoor recreation in the state. Task force members were appointed by the Oregon State Parks and Recreation Commission. The governor tapped the Office of Outdoor Recreation, established in 2017 within the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, to guide the task force. The task force is composed of private and public sector representatives and is chaired by Commissioner Jon Blasher of the Oregon State Parks and Recreation Commission. Cailin O’Brien-Feeney, director of the Office of Outdoor Recreation, will manage the task force. View the full membership list online: oregon.gov/orec/Pages/Governors-Task-Force.aspx. Building on and uniting other statewide outdoor recreation efforts, the task force will deliver its final report in April 2020 on recommendations for legislation, investment of existing public and private resources, future funding, and high-level management strategies. Top recommendations will be presented to the governor, state legislature and the Oregon State Parks and Recreation Commission. Individuals who require special accommodations to attend the meeting should contact Maggie Riley, OPRD region administrative assistant, at 503-986-0733 or Maggie.Riley@oregon.gov at least three days in advance.