September 2, 2021
OREGON SOUTH COAST REGIONAL TOURISM NETWORK
THE PEOPLE'S COAST SUMMIT

Annual Coastal Tourism Conference is back and better than ever

The Oregon Coast Visitors Association (OCVA) will be hosting its annual People’s Coast Summit in Coos Bay, October 12th and 13th with a Traditional Salmon Bake dinner at the Mill Casino on Oct. 11th. The conference was slated to be held in Coos Bay in 2020 but was canceled due to COVID-19. After 18 months of pivoting, being flexible, and adapting to new norms, the OCVA team and Coos Bay - North Bend Visitor & Convention Bureau are confident they can bring the Summit back in person* and it’ll be better than ever.

This year’s agenda has a promising lineup of keynote speakers to offer big-picture thinking and topics to tourism stakeholders from all over the coast. How can technology help our hospitality workforce? Where do youth, especially those at risk of being homeless fit into our industry? Are sea otters the intersection of natural ecosystems, tourism, and indigenous communities?

Join OCVA in Coos Bay, Oregon for the 5th annual People's Coast Summit hosted by the Oregon Coast Visitors Association.

October 11th - October 13th, 2021
NEW OSHA RULES RE: WORKING IN THE HEAT
FROM CARDINAL SERVICES

Due to a recent heat-related death and multiple heatwaves, the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OR-OSHA) has released new requirements on heat safety.

Go over the SAIF Guide with employees who work outdoors. In most cases, it will be easiest to meet with the entire crew to communicate this information.

 Safety Training Protocol

  • Print out copies of the included training guide and give them to all employees.
  • Arrange a staff meeting to review the guide for all employees who work outside.
  • Document who led the training and who attended.
  • If you need a safety workbook from Cardinal to document this meeting, please let us know—we will get one mailed right away.


If you need help understanding or implementing this training, call Cardinal Services at (800) 342-4742 and ask to speak to our Risk Team.
CDC AND OHA COVID-19 UPDATES

State:
  • The Oregon Health Authority’s COVID-19 Weekly Report, released Wednesday, shows an increase in daily cases, hospitalizations, and COVID-19 related deaths. 
  • OHA reported 5,946 new daily cases of COVID-19 during the week of July 26-Aug. 1. That represents a 92% rise over the previous week.  
  • New COVID-19 related hospitalizations rose to 256, up from 146 the previous week, a 75% increase.  
  • There were 82,701 tests for COVID-19 for the week of July 25-31. Test positivity was 8.2%, up from 5.0% the previous week.  
  • Case rates have generally been higher in counties with lower COVID-19 vaccination rates.  
  • During the week of July 26-Aug. 1, the statewide case rate was 129.3 cases per 100,000 population. Thirteen of Oregon’s 36 counties had case rates in excess of 200 per 100,000. All 13 of these counties had population vaccination rates less than the statewide average of 56.4%.  
  • Starting 8/4, OHA’s COVID-19 Daily Data Update and Variants dashboards will include new charts showing the proportion of variants circulating in Oregon over time. The Variants dashboard is updated on Wednesdays with data reported through the previous Saturday. The cases per 100,000 residents in the previous seven days will be updated Monday through Friday. Read more here. 

Federal:
  • On Wednesday, the Biden administration announced it was taking first steps toward requiring nearly all international visitors to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before entering the U.S. No timeline has been established. Read more here. 
  • The Delta variant is much more contagious than previous strains and is proving to be as contagious as Chickenpox. According to an internal CDC report, the Delta variant is more likely to break through protections afforded by vaccines and may cause more severe disease than all other known versions of the virus, according to an internal CDC report. Infections in vaccinated Americans are rare, but when they occur, vaccinated people may be able to spread the virus.
  • New CDC mask guidelines are based on new research showing how fully vaccinated people can carry large loads of the Delta variant. The CDC recommends that vaccinated people in some parts of the country utilize their masks, meaning fully vaccinated people with young children, aging parents, or friends and family with weak immune systems will need to renew vigilance, particularly in high-transmission communities.
  • The U.S. reported the highest number of new COVID-19 infections in the world in the last week as the Delta variant fuels a surge of new cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The U.S. tallied 500,332 new cases for the week ending July 25—a 131% increase in new infections compared with the week prior. The U.S. was followed by Brazil, Indonesia, the United Kingdom and India.
OREGON WILDFIRES UPDATE

  • Started: 8/3
  • 8 miles NE of Antelope Lookout
  • Cause: lightning
  • 4,000 acres, 0% contained
  • Closures: Temporary fire area closure in effect for public and fire staff safety in the following area: From National Forest System (NFS) road 14 at T. 18 S, R. 34 E, Section 24, North to the junction with NFS road 16 at T. 16 S, R. 34 E, Sec. 23. East on NFS road 16 to the forest boundary at T. 15 S, R. 36 E, Section 25. South along the forest boundary to T. 18 S, R 36 E, Sec. 24. West along southern forest boundary to NFS road 14 at T. 18 S, R. 34 E, Sec. 24. Border roads will remain open. 
  • Recreation Sites within the closure boundary:
  • North Fork Malheur River Trailheads both north and south
  • North Fork Malheur Campground
  • Crane Crossing Trailheads both east and west
  • Sites open to the west of the closure boundary are:
  • Elk Creek Campground to the west of the boundary.
  • Little Crane Campground
  • Short Creek Guard Station

  • Started 7/29
  • 9 miles N of Oakridge
  • Cause: under investigation
  • 2,825 acres, 10% contained 
  • This week, lightning has caused 22 wildfires on the Middle Fork Ranger District. For fire management purposes, the various incidents have been officially named the Middle Fork Complex.
Evacuations:
  • All homes, campgrounds and dispersed recreation along Forest Service Road 18 (Big Fall Creek Road) east of the intersection with Forest Service Road 1821, including Puma Campground and Bedrock Campground, are at LEVEL 3 (GO NOW). 
  • More Lane County evacuation information.

  • Started 7/6     
  • Cause: under investigation     
  • 413,765 acres burned, 84% contained    
  • Major roads are open, although the national forest remains closed. Drivers should expect increased traffic in the area from fire equipment and are asked to use caution driving in the area. For information related to travel routes and closures, check https://tripcheck.com.
  • Smoke conditions in the region may vary.
GRANT WRITING WORKSHOP SERIES

A grant writing workshop series hosted by NeighborWorks Umpqua and the Ford Institute for Community Building is being offered to all area nonprofit organizations this fall. The workshop series is designed to help beginning and intermediate grant writers in nonprofit organizations and governmental entities increase their skills for developing project proposals and successfully planning, writing, and attaining grant funding.

This is a four-part series via Zoom on Thursdays from 2:30-5 p.m. The schedule is as follows:

  •    Sept. 30 | Positioning Your Organization to be Grant Smart
  •    Oct. 7 | Grant Writing and Grant Review
  •    Oct. 14 | Strategic Thinking and Budgeting
  •    Oct. 21 | Program Evaluation and Organizational Site Visits

Please direct questions to Meredith Howell, PhD.
CCD ECONOMIC RECOVERY INITIATIVE
SUPPORTING COOS, CURRY, AND DOUGLAS COUNTIES

CCD’s Economic Recovery Initiative is a 24-month project that will focus on the regional economic recovery in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Project goals are to bring resources to the region during these challenging times and create a long-term resiliency plan to strengthen the region when facing future disasters. The Economic Recovery Initiative is made possible by an EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance Planning Grant.
Oregon South Coast Regional Tourism Network
Pressing Sand!
541-347-5653
PHOTO CREDITS: The People's Coast Summit courtesy of OCVA, Construction worker by Jeriden Villegas, COVID-19 typewriter by Markus Winkler, Wildfire by Joanne Francis, Laptop typing by Glenn Carstens Peters, Old town Bandon by Manuela Durson.