July 15. 2021 Photo by Mountains Legacy

Oregon Wildfire Update

Oregon is seeing an early start to fire season due to unseasonal hot and dry conditions. There are several wildfires burning across the state, including the Bootleg Fire, the largest fire in the nation, covering more than 200,000 acres in Southern Oregon. Travel Oregon is closely monitoring the spread of wildfires and the impacts they may have on Oregonians and visitors. We encourage you to direct visitors to the Travel Alerts page for links to current major wildfires, trip planning resources, FAQs, smoke information and more.

We’re currently monitoring the following large active wildfires for evacuations, closures and air quality:

Jack Fire is burning 20 miles east of Glide. Current and interactive fire evacuation map can be found on Douglas County Sheriff’s Office website. All Forest Service lands, roads, and trails within the Pomeroy Ranger of the Umatilla National Forest are closed. For more information visit the Umatilla National Forest website.
Bootleg Fire is burning 15 miles northwest of Beatty. The Fremont-Winema National Forest is closed to the public in the fire area. See updated map and the Emergency Fire Closure Order 06-02-21-05 on Inciweb or on the forest’s website. New fires in Oregon and northern California are contributing to smoke from the Bootleg Fire, with the probability of increasing the smoke layer. Check air quality levels before you travel.
Grandview Fire is burning 10 miles northeast of Sisters. The fire is burning on Oregon Department of Forestry protected lands and the Crooked River National Grassland. The fire rapidly spread through grass and juniper yesterday. Evacuations are in place for residents in Jefferson and Deschutes counties.

The Oregon Office of Emergency Management (OEM) released social media tiles for evacuation in English, Spanish and Vietnamese for local, tribal and state agency use. For updates from OEM, please follow their Facebook page.

For the latest information on active wildfires, please check the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center.

Please direct additional questions to industry@traveloregon.com.

Racial Equity for Restaurants Workshop, July 19

On July 19 at 11 a.m., the Independent Restaurant Alliance of Oregon, in partnership with locally based DEI educator, Jeff Selby, will offer a virtual workshop for Oregon’s restaurant owners and workers to engage in creating a racially equitable hospitality culture.

Through participating in a mix of content, small group discussion, and exercises, the workshop will cover:

Shared terminology of racial equity concepts.
The importance of leading with race when institutionalizing equity.
The history of institutional and systemic racism in Oregon and the U.S. and how that history still affects Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color.
The basics of implicit bias and how our biases affect our decisions in the workplace.
An introduction to the Racial Equity Toolkit for Restaurants.

The Independent Restaurant Alliance of Oregon is hosting additional workshops in the fall. View the workshop series and register.

Destination Ready Request for Contractor Applications

Travel Oregon's Destination Ready program is gearing up for a second round in 2021-22, responding to our Rebuild Strategic Plan to lead and support rebuilding of Oregon’s tourism industry and economic recovery. The most significant anticipated change will be the addition of a Destination Ready Assessment process, which will be implemented in the fall; Destination Ready project funding awards would then be informed by the successful completion of a Destination Ready Assessment.

To support capacity, Travel Oregon is seeking contracted support to design and implement an overarching assessment process in collaboration with internal staff.

This RFA is intended to identify interested, qualified applicants who can implement some or all tasks listed in the contractor support section of the RFA. Contractors can submit responses for only certain tasks or to execute on the whole contract.

Travel Oregon will solicit responses until 5 p.m. on July 22.

Learn more about the RFA and apply. Direct questions to development@traveloregon.com.

Tickets Required to Visit Multnomah Falls

Beginning July 20, timed reservation tickets will be required to visit Multnomah Falls and the Historic Lodge between 9 a.m.-6 p.m., daily. In partnership with Columbia Area Transit, Oregon Department of Transportation and Recreation.gov, the U.S. Forest Service has implemented a timed reservation system to manage traffic congestion and provide safe access to the falls and lodge.

Tickets are now available at Recreation.gov and can be made two weeks prior to visiting Multnomah Falls. See the official press release, here.

ATTA Scholarship for Tour Operators and Accomodation Providers

Are you a tour operator or accommodation provider that was severely impacted by the pandemic? If so, you could be eligible to receive an Adventure Travel Trade Association scholarship to the 2021 and 2022 Adventure Travel World Summits. Recipients will receive a business membership, registration to upcoming tradeshows, online classes, airfare and more.

Scholarship recipients will be selected based on their unique strategies in one of the following key areas: