Reporter for The Canyon Weekly
Marion County is hosting a public meeting on Saturday, Nov. 5 to discuss a Santiam Canyon fire-recovery plan. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Detroit Community Center, 345 Santiam Ave.
Topics to be discussed include community planning and land use, economic development, housing and nature and recreation.
The meeting will be moderated by Sarah Reich, a consultant from EcoNorthwest in Portland. Reich will make a brief presentation and then open up the floor for feedback and questions, said Chris Eppley, the county’s community services department director.
“This plan is being developed as part of a technical assistance grant through the EPA,” Eppley said, “and the intent is to consolidate the information contained in other studies that the county commissioned earlier in the recovery process, combine that information with lessons learned, and create a plan to help provide a clear set of steps the county could take to continue facilitating a successful wildfire recovery.”
The plan ultimately will be put before the Marion County Board of Commissioners, with Eppley noting that “we are shooting for spring of 2023 to make that presentation.”
One more public outreach session is planned for the winter. Eppley said that the meeting will be conducted virtually.
