Clackamas Tourism: Eight Groups Splitting $250,000 in Grants

Eight groups in Clackamas County are splitting $250,000 in grants awarded by the Clackamas County Tourism Development Council. The grants come from money raised by the county's six percent lodging tax program known as Oregon's Mt. Hood Territory.

The council this year increased the amount of grants to $250,000 from $50,000 as a result of increased revenues from overnight stays at county hotels, motels, and other lodging facilities.

“Transient Room Tax revenues have increased to record levels over the past few years and as a board, we determined that reinvesting even more of those funds into further developing our tourism assets in the county was a prudent investment strategy,” said John Erickson, Chair of the TDC.

The program was started in 2010 to promote tourism in the county.

The grants went to:

• "Genealogy Research Lab" by Clackamas County Historical Society: $20,000: The genealogy research lab at the Museum of the Oregon Territory will provide visitors researching their family history access to the unique records available on through the Clackamas County Historical Society. The Clackamas County Heritage and Cultural Tourism Development Strategic Plan identified genealogy tourism as ripe opportunity for tourism in the county.
• "Willamette Falls Heritage Area Market Research, Strategic Plan and Implementation Plan" by Willamette Falls Heritage Area Coalition: $60,000: The Willamette Falls Heritage Area is the first State Heritage area and is currently being reviewed for designation as a National Heritage Area. The grant award will fund the assessment of tourism assets within the heritage area and evaluate the economic opportunities that could benefit communities and citizens within the area, as well as develop a strategic plan for capitalizing on those tourism opportunities.

• "Sandy Ridge Trailhead Access Improvements" by the Bureau of Land Management: $80,000: Grant funds will be used for trailhead improvements at the Sandy Ridge Trail System that increase capacity for parking and events. These improvements are part of a large multifaceted BLM project that adds amenities to this well-known mountain biking destination.

• "Canby Bike Hub" by Canby Livability Coalition: $12,000: The Canby Livability Coalition received funds to create a covered bicycle hub as part of larger plan to promote bicycle tourism in Canby. The bicycle hub is near the Canby Ferry, a popular attraction for cyclists visiting the area.

• "Bike Friendly Amenities for Willamette Street in West Linn" by Historic Willamette Main Street: $5,000: West Linn’s Historic Willamette Main Street received funds to install bike racks on Willamette St that add to the character of the Historic Willamette District as part of a larger vision for encouraging cycle tourism in the area.

• "River Tourism at Willamette Falls" by We Love Clean Rivers: $40,000 Grant funds will be used to answer the technical questions that must be addressed for a water or portage trail to be incorporated near Willamette Falls.

• "Clackamas Cultural Plan" by Clackamas County Cultural Coalition: $20,000: The Cultural Coalition supports cultural tourism opportunities countywide. Funds will be used to hire a professional consultant to guide the public outreach and engagement process that will inform the updating of the cultural plan for Clackamas County.

• "Rodeo Walk of Fame" by the Molalla Area Chamber of Commerce: $12,000: Molalla Area Chamber of Commerce received funds to expand the Rodeo Walk of Fame. The Rodeo Walk of Fame builds on Molalla’s rodeo heritage and the reputation of the Molalla Buckeroo. The City of Molalla incorporated the Walk of Fame bronze plaques in the Main Street improvements currently underway.

Photo Oregon's Mt. Hood Territory