Newberry Regional Partnership finalizes strategic action plan after community engagement; Deschutes County seed grant to support start‑up work

Community leaders from South Deschutes County presented a near‑final strategic action plan for “Newberry Country” and described early implementation steps the Newberry Regional Partnership (NRP) will take with a $5,000 Deschutes County grant.

Jen Patterson, Deschutes County strategic initiatives manager, introduced a midyear update on the partnership’s civic engagement process and draft plan. Julia Baumgartner, Community Development Programs Manager at the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council (COIC) and acting board secretary for NRP, and Megan Tuck, COIC program coordinator, described a plan organized around seven focus areas and 27 recommended strategies developed from surveys, focus groups and a community action summit.

Baumgartner and Tuck said the plan’s seven focus areas are: resilient (wildfire and public safety), livable (growth planning and infrastructure), sustainable (environment and septic system assistance), thriving (health and human services), prosperous (jobs and downtown development), inspire (education and youth services) and vibrant (arts, culture and civic life). Each focus area highlights at least one “game‑changer” initiative; examples cited at the meeting included expanding wildfire preparedness education, a multi‑agency approach to illegal camping on public lands, assistance for septic system failures, and a community news effort based in La Pine.

NRP representatives said they expect implementation timelines to range from three to five years for many strategies; the partnership plans to convene action teams focused on each theme and will use county funds partly for facilitation and to seed priority action team projects. The presenters said they are close to finalizing a printed booklet of the plan (following models used by Sisters Country Vision and Envision Bend) and expect to distribute it widely in the coming month.

Commissioners asked how the county could participate in and support priority strategies, especially septic repairs and wildfire preparedness. Baumgartner and Tuck said COIC and NRP have been coordinating with county staff and local partners on grant applications and implementation; they invited commissioners to join action teams where appropriate.

The Deschutes County board did not take new funding action at the meeting; the $5,000 award was already in place and will be applied to initial outreach and seed activities described by NRP.