Visit Bend seeks community votes to help decide first Bend Sustainability Fund grants

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Visit Bend, an economic development organization, is asking the community to get involved with its first Bend Sustainability Fund granting cycle, which opened for community input Wednesday.

Visit Bend CEO Kevney Dugan told NewsChannel 21 that as the community's population grows, it's important to consider assets that benefit both tourism and the local community.

 "I think we now have to start thinking about how do we make sure this destination stays desirable in 10, 15, 20 years down the road," Dugan said. 

Several Central Oregon organizations have offered their support and input ,including the Forest Service, the City of Bend, Bend Park and Recreation District, Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association and the Bureau of Land Management.

“We’ve received some excellent proposals,” Visit Bend Sustainability Manager Serena Gordon said. “The BSF Advisory Council has narrowed the field to eight projects that will receive at least some level of funding. We’re
counting on the community to tell us what is most important to them.”

The Central Oregon community can vote on the eight of the proposals on a virtual ballot.

"Some of those ideas are Bend Parks and Rec. and their Eastside bike park, which will be an expansion of Big Sky Park," Dugan said. "You've got Mt. Bachelor adding close to 11 miles of trail, which will open up huge summer hiking opportunities and also help alleviate what we're seeing in the Three Sisters Wilderness.

"Another one we're super-excited about is the High Desert Museum, which will create an interactive playground for visitors to use, as well as locals," he added.

Other projects include improving Badland Trails, the Lodgepole Beginner Bike Trail, Cascade View Trails construction, a Tumalo Falls Trail Restoration Project, and restoring Rimrock Trail.

For the selection process, five people will randomly be selected to help decide which organizations will receive an extra $500 each. These five $500 bonuses will be offered in addition to the $500,000 in grant money that will be divided between the finalists.

Dugan said community involvement is important for a couple of reasons. 

“One is the ability to have an opinion about what is developed in their community. The other big one is start thinking forward. As we do grow, what do we want to look like as a community?" Dugan said.