Alliance For Recreation And Natural Areas

TO FACILITATE COMMUNITY-SUPPORTED PROJECTS TO ENHANCE RECREATION AND CONNECT PEOPLE TO THEIR NATURAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE IN BENTON COUNTY, OREGON, AND SURROUNDING AREAS.

MCBEE CAMPGROUND. AFRANA ACCEPTED A DONATION OF LAND CONTAINING A CAMPGROUND APPRAISED AT $1,875,000. THE DONOR WISHED TO GIVE THE LAND TO BENTON COUNTY, OREGON, IMMEDIATELY. HOWEVER THE COUNTY NEEDED TIME TO ARRANGE AN APPRAISAL AND TO CONDUCT PUBLIC MEETINGS TO DISCUSS THE DEAL. AFRANA ACCEPTED THE DONATION IMMEDIATELY, AND HELD THE LAND UNTIL THE COUNTY HAD COMPLETED ALL NECESSARY ARRANGEMENTS TO ACCEPT THE PROPERTY. THEN AFRANA TRANSFERRED THE LAND TO BENTON COUNTY SO IT COULD BE INCORPORATED INTO THE COUNTY PARK SYSTEM. THIS PROPERTY WAS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL PARCELS PROPOSED FOR THE NEWLY CREATED COUNTY PARKS SYSTEM IN THE EARLY 1960S. WITH TRANSFER FROM AFRANA TO THE COUNTY THIS ORIGINAL GOAL FOR DEVELOPING THE COUNTY PARKS SYSTEM HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. THE DONOR TRANSFERRED THE PROPERTY TO AFRANA FOR $0.00. AFRANA TRANSFERRED THE PROPERTY TO THE COUNTY FOR $0.00.

JACKSON-FRAZIER WETLAND MITIGATION. A LONG TERM GOAL OF AFRANA AND THE BENTON COUNTY, OREGON, PARKS SYSTEM IS TO REPLACE AN AGING BOARDWALK IN THE COUNTY'S JACKSON-FRAZIER WETLAND NATURAL AREA. AFRANA RECEIVED A LARGE DONATION OF $300,000 PLUS AN ADDITIONAL $27,220 IN INDIVIDUAL DONATIONS FOR THIS WORK, DATING BACK TO 2019. THE PANDEMIC SHUT DOWN ALL EFFORTS TO REPLACE THE BOARDWALK. WORK HAS NOW RESTARTED. PART OF THE COSTS TO REBUILD THE NEW BOARDWALK INCLUDE WETLAND MITIGATION TO EXPAND THE "FOOTPRINT" OF THE NEW BOARDWALK. THE WETLAND IS IN A 100 YEAR FLOOD PLAIN AND IS PROTECTED BY FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL WETLAND PROTECTION LAWS. THE MITIGATION IS TO SATISFY ALL OF THESE REQUIREMENTS AND IS NECESSARY FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE EXISTING BOARDWALK. AFRANA WILL ALSO PAY COSTS FOR THE ENGINEERING DESIGN AND THE DESIGN OF THE SUPPORTING PIERS. THE $327,220 ALSO SERVED AS "SEED" MONEY FOR AN ADDITIONAL APPROXIMATELY $2,000,000 IN GRANTS TO THE COUNTY FOR THE PROJECT.

MARYS PEAK WEST POINT PROJECT. THIS IS A MULTI-YEAR PROJECT STARTED BY THE US FOREST SERVICE TO RESTORE MEADOWS IN THE US FOREST SERVICE'S MARYS PEAK SCENIC-BOTANICAL SPECIAL INTEREST AREA. IT IS THE HIGHEST POINT IN THE OREGON COAST RANGE AND A POPULAR RECREATION AREA AND BIOLOGICAL RESERVE. THIS IS A CONTINUATION OF A PROJECT STARTED BY THE FOREST SERVICE IN 2014 TO REMOVE TREES AND OTHER VEGETATION THAT WERE ENCROACHING INTO THE MEADOWS. AT LEAST 1/3 OF THE MEADOWS VISIBLE IN EARLY (1940S) AERIAL PHOTOS HAVE BEEN LOST TO INVADING TREES. THE US CONGRESS AWARDED FUNDS FOR MULTI-AGENCY PROJECTS. PART OF THE RESTORATION AREA ON MARYS PEAK IS ON CITY OF CORVALLIS PROPERTY AND THE REST ON FOREST SERVICE LAND. THE FOREST SERVICE WAS AWARDED FUNDS FOR THIS PROJECT. THEY CHOSE CASCADE PACIFIC RC&D (A 501(C)(3) ORGANIZATION) TO MANAGE THE FUNDS FOR THE PROJECT. CASCADE PACIFIC HIRED AFRANA TO OVERSEE THE WORK. AFRANA HIRED THE INSTITUTE FOR APPLIED ECOLOGY (A 501(C)(3) ORGANIZATION) TO DO THE ON-THE-LAND WORK TO REMOVE INVASIVE SPECIES, GROW NATIVE SPECIES FROM SEEDS COLLECTED AT THE PROJECT SITE, AND RESTORE THE NATIVE VEGETATION.