[Heritage] Oregon Heritage News 2020-03-21

Sat Mar 21 08:42:41 PDT 2020

Oregon Heritage News 2020-03-21

*Temporary change in Heritage New Frequency: During this time, resources are coming out at a rapid rate. Oregon Heritage normally only has one email a week with heritage related news but we may be increasing it to two times a week if there are multiple resources coming out or time-sensitive deadlines. We want to make sure heritage organizations are aware of resources as quickly as possible. Thank you and stay safe.

In this issue:

  *   Oregon Heritage services update
  *   SBA loan resources for small business and nonprofits impacted by disaster
  *   Oregon Community Recovery Grant for nonprofits
  *   Employment information related to COVID-19
  *   Arts & Culture impact surveys

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Oregon Heritage services update

Oregon Heritage, which includes the State Historic Preservation Office, Oregon Heritage Commission and Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries, in order to protect people vulnerable to COVID-19 and avoid overwhelming critical resources, is adjusting its business practices for the time being.

To address social distancing the majority of staff has been set-up to work remotely, meetings will be teleconference, and travel is extremely limited. Support for heritage organizations and government agencies managing COVID-19 issues is our highest priority. We are also working to make several of our programs more flexible, when possible, in response to COVID-19 challenges.

The National Park Service, our federal partner for programs like the National Register of Historic Places and the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Credit, are open for business but with some limitations. The National Register program has asked for a pause in new submittals for now. The Federal Tax Credit program is accepting new applications but has warned that there may be a lag time for hard-copy responses. Both programs are open for phone calls and emails.

Section 106 deadlines remain in place for now, but the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation has allowed for a pause for SHPO/THPO response times should our staff become unavailable due to illness, and are encouraging federal agencies to be flexible and communicative around Section 106 deadlines.

Finally, this is stressful time for everyone. Our staff is encouraged to take care of themselves as they manage their personal lives and continue to work in new conditions.

We will continue to serve you as best we can. The above limitations will likely slow our response and shift our attention. The situation is also ever-changing. We ask your patience as we maneuver through this situation, and we will offer the same to you. We also encourage our heritage partners to follow guidance in maintaining social distancing and hygiene recommendations.

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SBA loan resources for small business and nonprofits impacted by disaster

Oregon has received an SBA EIDL declaration for COVID-19.

Small Business Administration funding available now for businesses in Oregon impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.

https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/Declarations/DeclarationDetails?declNumber=6063989&direct=false

The applications can be filled out online or there is assistance through Small Business Development Centers. These loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can't be paid because of the disaster's impact. The interest rate is 3.75% for small businesses. The interest rate for non-profits is 2.75%. SBA offers loans with long-term repayments in order to keep payments affordable, up to a maximum of 30 years. Terms are determined on a case-by-case basis, based upon each borrower's ability to repay.

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Oregon Community Recovery Grant for nonprofits

The Oregon Community Recovery Grant program will provide funds to nonprofit organizations<https://oregoncf.org/grants-and-scholarships/grants/oregon-community-recovery-fund/> in Oregon that are affected by the outbreak of COVID-19. For questions on the program email grants at oregoncf.org<mailto:grants at oregoncf.org>.

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Employment information related to COVID-19

Many people are contacting the Oregon Employment Department and asking if WorkSource Centers are open to walk-in customers during this time of closures and social distancing. While the situation could change day-to-day, the centers remain open as of Thursday, March 19. Staff and customers are asked to take some simple health precautions, which includes limiting the number of customers at any given time and adhering to social distancing protocols. The Oregon Employment Department has timely information on unemployment insurance related to COVID-19<https://www.oregon.gov/employ/Pages/COVID-19.aspx>.

The Oregon Employment Department also has adopted temporary rules<https://www.oregon.gov/employ/Documents/OAR%20471-030-0070-temporaryrule.pdf> for unemployment insurance benefits flexibility and issued a news release<https://www.oregon.gov/employ/Agency/Pages/News-Releases.aspx#release?id=85> related to COVID-19 and layoffs, closures and unemployment insurance. Email the department with COVID-19 related employment questions at OED_COVID19_Info at oregon.gov<mailto:OED_COVID19_Info at oregon.gov>

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Arts & Culture impact surveys
*Message from the Cultural Advocacy Coalition

There are two important COVID-19 impact surveys in the field: One from Americans for the Arts that will be used to support AFTA's request for $4 Billion in federal aid for the country's nonprofit arts sector, and one from The Miller Foundation, the Oregon Community Foundation, and the Regional Arts & Culture Council that will inform public and private relief efforts locally and statewide.

Please take a few moments to fill out BOTH surveys below:

5-Minute Survey: The Economic Impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on the Arts and Cultural Sector<https://oregonculture.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=fff59ec4bfd2dec5de708c5b2&id=79736b06f4&e=841ff2c388>

COVID-19 Survey: Arts Organizations & Individuals<https://oregonculture.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=fff59ec4bfd2dec5de708c5b2&id=65180933f1&e=841ff2c388>

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Share your photos of Oregon's heritage on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter using #oregonheritage.

Oregon Heritage News is a service of Oregon Heritage, a division of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. The news editor can be contacted at heritage.info at oregon.gov<mailto:heritage.info at oregon.gov>.

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