OPRD release – Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries (OCHC) has awarded $62,360 in grants to 14 historic cemetery projects throughout the state through the Historic Cemeteries Grant program. The funds will help support preservation efforts, tree care and access. Individual award amounts ranged from $1,800 – $8,000. Funded projects on the South Coast: Monument repair at the Marshfield Pioneer Cemetery in Coos Bay. Historic cemeteries are documented by OCHC and must include the burial of at least one person who died 75 years before the current date. The historic cemetery grant program is offered annually by the OCHC, part of the Oregon Heritage Program at Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD). The grant program is supported by lottery and other funds. OCHC maintains a list of all pioneer and historic cemeteries in the state. The seven-member appointed commission helps people and organizations document, preserve and promote designated historic cemeteries statewide. For more information about the grant program or the OCHC, visit www.oregonheritage.org or contact Kuri Gill at Kuri.gill@oprd.oregon.gov or 503-986-0685.
