[Heritage] Oregon Heritage News 2026-04-10

Fri Apr 10 14:09:52 PDT 2026

Oregon Heritage News 2026-04-10
In this Issue:

  *   Fourth round for Oregon 250 Grant to open April 13 at 9am, first come first serve
  *   Connecting to Collections webinar recordings and resources (free)
  *   May is National Historic Preservation Month
  *   Charles F. Sams III to speak on historic preservation at Willamette Heritage Center, May 27
  *   NEDCC Webinar: Celebrating with Collections: Last-Minute Preservation Reminders for the 250th, April 23
  *   Volunteer related resources
  *   Two(ish) weeks left to register for the 2026 Oregon Heritage Conference!

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Fourth round for Oregon 250 Grant to open April 13 at 9am, first come first serve

A fourth funding cycle will open on Monday, April 13, 2026, at 9am, and will remain open until all funds are expended. A total of $60,000 in funding is available in this fourth and final cycle, with 50% dedicated to rural communities. Grants are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible projects. Learn more here<https://www.oregon250.org/america-250-oregon-grant/>. Applications will go live at 9am on April 13.

They have been going fast so be sure to be ready to go right at 9am for submission.

Connect with the America 250 Oregon Commission to share events and access resources. https://www.oregon250.org/.

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Connecting to Collections webinar recordings and resources (free)

The recording, resources and presentation from the C2C Care March 2026 Preventive Conservation Essentials: Tools, Resources, and Practical Starting Points webinar is now available: https://connectingtocollections.org/event/preventive-conservation-essentials-tools-resources-and-practical-starting-points/
Upcoming programming:

  *   Water Management 101: Safeguarding Collections in Small and Mid-Sized Institutions April 16 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm ET
https://connectingtocollections.org/event/water-management-101/
  *   C2C Care/Conserv Course Monitoring What Matters Part 2: From Observation to Action April 22 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm ET
https://connectingtocollections.org/event/c2c-care-course-monitoring-what-matters-part-2/

C2C Care Course Monitoring What Matters Part 3: Making Sense of the Squiggly Lines May 13 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm ET
https://connectingtocollections.org/event/c2c-care-course-monitoring-what-matters-part-3/
  *   May Day 2026 Assessing Risk to Protect Your Collections May 20 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm ET
https://connectingtocollections.org/event/may-day-2026-assessing-risk-to-protect-your-collections/
  *   Hidden Supports: The Art and Practice of Mountmaking June 24 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm ET
https://connectingtocollections.org/event/hidden-supports-the-art-and-practice-of-mountmaking/

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May is National Historic Preservation Month

  *   Visit the National Historic Trust for Historic Preservation<https://savingplaces.org/stories/preservation-month> to learn more about this year's theme for National Historic Preservation Month and tools to help spread awareness and engagement.
  *   If you need some ideas, view Oregon Heritage's National Historic Preservation Month Ideas list<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Documents/HPmonthideas.pdf>
  *   Send your Oregon events to Oregon Heritage to promote in the Heritage News. Information can be sent to katie.henry at oprd.oregon.gov<mailto:katie.henry at oprd.oregon.gov>.
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Charles F. Sams III to speak on historic preservation at Willamette Heritage Center, May 27
Date: Wednesday, May 27, 2026
Time: 6 pm - 7pm
Location: Willamette Heritage Center 1313 Mill St., SE Salem, Oregon
Cost: $12/person or $10/WHC Member
In recognition of Historic Preservation Month, Willamette Heritage Center will host a presentation by Charles F. Sams III, American Conservationist. Sams will present "By Understanding Our Past, We Better Understand Ourselves: Preserving Our History & Stories for Generations to Come." Join us as we examine our shared stewardship as culture-keepers and the vital role preservation plays in sustaining collective history for future generations. Charles F. "Chuck" Sams III served as the 19th director of the National Park Service from 2021 to 2025 and was the first Native American to serve in this position. Sams is Cayuse and Walla Walla and is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Northeast Oregon, where he grew up. Sams is a veteran of the US Navy where he served as an intelligence specialist. He holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Concordia University and a Master of Legal Studies in Indigenous Peoples Law from the University of Oklahoma School of Law. Charles F. Sams III, also known as Mockingbird with Big Heart, is a nationally respected conservation leader and advocate for Indigenous stewardship of land and water. This program is presented in partnership with the City of Salem and is funded in part by the National Trust Preservation Fund of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
More information about the Speaker Series and upcoming events is available at: https://www.willametteheritage.org/speakers-series/
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NEDCC Webinar: Celebrating with Collections: Last-Minute Preservation Reminders for the 250th, April 23
Date: Thursday, April 23, 2026
Time: 12 p.m. CT
Location: Online
>From NEDCC:
When your community is celebrating a major anniversary, the public and press will be interested in museum and archival collections related to that time period. Before you bring out your most precious items, though, you'll want to attend this introductory webinar to learn the basics about how to protect them during handling, scanning, and exhibition.
The instructor will also explain how you can collaborate with other local organizations to save time and money as you engage the public in your community's history. With the 250th anniversary right around the corner, this webinar will also include tips for how to prioritize for preservation at the last minute and make the most of your remaining planning time!
Register here.<https://www.nedcc.org/event-template/?eventtemplate=71-celebrating-with-collections-lastminute-preservation-reminders-for-the-250th>
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Volunteer related resources
National Volunteer Week 2026 runs from April 19-25, 2026 is an opportunity to honor the impact of volunteers on communities and encourages service.
To have an effective volunteer program, volunteers need to feel supported. The best way to do that is to prepare for their help, structurally as an organization. Check out the resources below on getting ready for hosting volunteers.

  *   Cemetery project? Check out Heritage Bulletin 13 on How to Organize a Cemetery Clean-up Day<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Documents/HB13_how_to_organize_cleanup_day.pdf>.
  *   Have a volunteer board? Establish roles & expectations with this Board Training Packet.<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Documents/Board%20Training%20Packet%20_Oregon%20Heritage%20Summit_03.07.2019.pdf> Or update board officer job descriptions based on these templates<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Documents/SAMPLE%20BOD%20Job%20Descriptions.pdf>.
  *   Organizing a historic building inventory? Check out the What's Up Downtown guide<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Documents/Upper_Story_How-To_Guide_Final.pdf> and accompanying template<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Documents/Upper_Story_Template_Downtown%20Building%20Inventory.xlsx> to figure out how.
  *   Looking at more formally developing your volunteer cadre? Use this Main Street America worksheet<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Documents/Finding%20Volunteers%20Worksheet.doc> to help expand your network.
  *   Is your organization ready to receive volunteers? Use this checklist to find out.<https://volunteermaine.gov/sites/default/files/2021-10/Essential%20Volunteer%20Management%20Practices.pdf>
  *   How well do you know the volunteer management cycle? Refresh here with Civic Champs 6 Steps of Volunteer Management Blog.<https://www.civicchamps.com/post/how-to-use-the-6-step-volunteer-management-cycle-to-make-your-program-soar>
  *   National Volunteer Week 2026 runs from April 19-25, 2026 is an opportunity to honor the impact of volunteers on communities and encourages service.
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Two(ish) weeks left to register for the 2026 Oregon Heritage Conference!

2026 Oregon Heritage Conference<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Pages/heritageconference.aspx> and Oregon Heritage Excellence Awards
Stories, Culture, Place - Weaving Community Heritage
April 29-May 2, Woodburn
Communities are complex and varied, how they are viewed by visitors and residents is informed by the long history of human experience in that place and their own experiences. The 2026 Oregon Heritage Conference will explore the intersection of stories, culture, and place to develop community heritage. This heritage is the anchor for participation, economic development, connection, and possibilities for a vibrant and healthy community.
Join us for four days of sessions, workshops, tours, partner events, networking, an inspiring plenary speaker, an awards celebration, and more totaling over 60 opportunities to connect, learn, and be inspired.
Learn more and register here.<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Pages/heritageconference.aspx>
Conference Plenary Speaker: Monica Rhodes presenting The Next Assignment: Why the Future Will Ask More of Us
Monica Rhodes is an internationally recognized cultural heritage leader whose work is redefining how our nation understands memory and the future of historic places. She is the Founder of Rhodes Heritage Group, a cultural strategy firm pioneering new approaches at the intersection of people, place, story, and capital.
Rhodes created the first nationwide program designed to open the preservation field to new audiences and restructured legacy funding models to honor the full breadth of American history. Her leadership has protected some of the country's most iconic sites, engaged millions of visitors, and expanded who has the power to shape the past.
Conference Background:
The Oregon Heritage Conference brings together people who share a common passion for Oregon's heritage and history to share insights, understand connections, develop relationships, learn new ways to address issues and opportunities, reinforce the value of the work, and leave energized to keep moving forward. Designed to be interdisciplinary and cross-pollenating, the conference focuses on all sectors of cultural heritage, such as historic preservation, museums, archives, libraries, Main Streets, historic cemeteries, archaeology, Tribes, genealogy, public history, and local, state, federal government.
Conference Partners:
Oregon Museums Association<https://www.oregonmuseums.org/Annual-Conference>
City of Woodburn
Thank you to Conference Sponsors:
Oregon Correction Enterprises<https://oce.oregon.gov/>
America 250 Oregon Commission<https://www.oregon250.org/>
University of Oregon Libraries, Historic Oregon Newspapers<https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/>
Energy Trust of Oregon<https://www.energytrust.org/>
Thank you to Excellence Awards Sponsors:
Oregon Historical Society<https://www.ohs.org/>
Learn more and register here.<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Pages/heritageconference.aspx>
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Follow us on Facebook at @oregonheritage, on LinkedIn<https://www.linkedin.com/company/oregon-parks-and-recreation-department/>, on the Oregon Heritage Exchange blog<https://oregonheritage.wordpress.com/>.
Oregon Heritage News is a service of Oregon Heritage, a division of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department that includes the State Historic Preservation Office. Learn more about our programs at www.oregonheritage.org<http://www.oregonheritage.org/>. The news editor can be contacted at heritage.info at oprd.oregon.gov<mailto:heritage.info at oprd.oregon.gov>.

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