County Opportunity Grant Program

Background:

The County Opportunity Grant Program (COGP), administered by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD), provides financial assistance to counties for the acquisition, development, rehabilitation, and planning of county park and recreation areas that provide camping facilities. The COGP is part of a larger program established in 1983 to provide revenue from RV (recreational vehicle) registration fees to counties for park and recreation sites and programs.

The COGP is governed by Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR) 736-007-0000 through 736-007-0050. These rules establish program definitions, eligibility requirements, application and scoring criteria, project administration standards, committee composition, and long-term stewardship obligations associated with grant-funded projects.

Summary of Proposed Rule Updates

The proposed rulemaking represents a comprehensive but targeted update intended to modernize the COGP rules without altering the core purpose or structure of the program. Key areas of focus include:

Clarifying and expanding definitions to improve consistency and reduce ambiguity across program administration
Updating application requirements to clearly identify required materials such as maps, forms, schedules, and match documentation
Providing additional guidance on planning grants, including eligibility and submittal expectations
Clarifying scoring criteria to improve transparency for applicants and consistency in evaluation
Increasing administrative flexibility by removing fixed dates for application deadlines and advisory committee meetings
Formalizing project administration practices, including time extension amendments and grant acknowledgment signage
Updating Advisory Committee provisions, including chair selection and flexibility in identifying qualified committee candidates
Adding a conversion rule (OAR 736-007-0045) to clearly establish long-term stewardship requirements and align COGP with LWCF and LGGP conversion standards
Adding an emergency procedure rule (OAR 736-007-0050) to allow the department to respond efficiently to unforeseen or urgent circumstances affecting program administration

Collectively, these changes are intended to improve program clarity, reduce administrative risk, strengthen long-term protection of public recreation investments, and ensure the rules accurately reflect how the program is administered today.

Rule Advisory Committee Meetings: Upcoming

Public Comment Period: Upcoming

Comments Received:

Documents:

Rulemaking Page

Contact

Katie Gauthier

Legislative Coordinator

503-510-9678