all right good evening everyone uh my name is Ali Ryan Hansen I use she her pronouns I'm the communications director for the Oregon Department of State lands and your moderator for this evening's information session um it's exciting to see you all tonight uh to learn more um about dsl's budget proposal um I'm going to begin by quickly reviewing our agenda and then uh introducing the team who will be presenting um first uh director Vicky Walker who has left her chair but certainly is still in the building uh she's going to officially welcome you and talk a bit about the Department's work uh and our strategic goals and then DSL deputy director Jean Strait is going to walk you through the budget process and the Department's policy option package proposals for fiscal year 2527 um we'll then spend the rest of our time together tonight hearing your questions uh hearing your thoughts um I will ask you to hold questions until after the presentation um but you can put them in chat anytime or raise your hand anytime and I'll either call on you or have a read your question aloud when it's discussion time um one bit of housekeeping please do keep your mics muted um until it's your turn so we can avoid background noise and with that I'm going to turn it over to director Walker to begin and begin sharing our presentation okay all right right 5:35 somewhere around in there uh on a Sunday Monday Tuesday uh nice to see you all um virtually anyway uh so thanks for spending time with us I appreciate your interest in the Department's work uh for Oregon and the priority priorities that we're considering asking the legislature for support for in 2025 which is just a around the corner I'm extremely proud to be the Department's director we're a small agency a small agency that does well uh we make big contributions to Oregon and we manage the lands dedicated to the common School fund we oversee the publicly owned waterways that you all enjoy whether it's fishing hunting re Recreation whatever it is you do on the waterways we protect the wetlands contribute to science and learning with sou SLO Reserve which is um celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year and soon we'll be celebrating with the Elliot State research Forest so our next slide talks about the challenges we have and the pops um our policy option packages for those of you who don't know what that is so we have 14 packages as you see um the the budget proposals that we're going to present tonight acknowledge and seek to address significant challenges we have many and opportunities and there are many as well the biggest one is adding staff so that we can make good on our many responsibilities inadequate Staffing is affecting the service that we provide and the health of our team members who just do not have the capacity or support needed to provide those essential services that we all strive for um work life balance is something we talk about but it's something that much of our staff cannot experience the policy option packages or the pops we're presenting address that these pops also focus on restoring our contributions to healthy resilient lands and waterways the department of about 120 people oversees more natural and working lands than any other state agency essential resources are particularly needed for programs that protect wetlands and Waters the South slooh reserve and for technology essential to all aspects of our management and stewardship and finally these packages help equip our communities to meet their changing needs the research and the data technical assistance and the Practical resources that we provide Provide support communities in planning for current and future challenges and needs uh meaning especially their housing needs so we'll move on to our strategic goals in slide three each policy option package that we have um tonight match the Department's four strategic goals exceptional service thriving Oregon a great workplace and supporting schools um all of these packages are anticipated to contribute significantly to achieving the measurable objectives identified for each of these goals and we spent a lot of time at the department uh drafting these goals and they're measurable and we're tracking them and we're doing very well I'd like to turn it over to Jean Strait she's uh deputy director of administration here at DSL and she's going to go over the development process for our budget and walk through all of our policy option packages for each strategic goal area uh because Gan is the rock star when it comes to budgeting uh so Gan I'm going to turn it over to you and turn off my video while you shine thank you all right thank you director Walker and welcome everyone I appreciate you being here tonight to learn more about the policy option packages the department has drafted a quick clarification on funding sources and pop numbers um most of dsl's other uh funding is other funds generated by the agency's program activities and common School fund investment returns when the funding source noted is federal fund that indicates grants or other resources from federal agencies are fund are funding the proposed packages uh the pop numbers generally uh indicate uh the relative package priority but with the understanding that when DSL proposes pops all are essential to our work for Oregon I also want to mention the amounts listed uh are still estimates and we're still working on those and they'll be Tred up during the next uh month uh of our devel budget development process so moving into slide four uh exceptional services and great workplace uh great workplace first five packages that contribute to our strategic goals for exceptional service and great workplace uh these pops add essential positions and resources to support the Department's Mission and all strategic goals but are particularly foundational to exceptional service and great workplace goals uh the wetlands and waterways Staffing package addresses the impacts of inadequate Staffing on programs that protect wetlands and waterways this pop includes adding 11 new positions and making four existing limited duration positions um into permanent positions uh we are requesting an estimated 3. 2 million of other funds for this pop uh next are packages that address the impact of inadequate Staffing and funding on South slooh Reserves as an essential resource for science learning and exploration we're requesting approximately 540,000 for this pop which includes adding two positions and reclassing an existing management position next uh the other South slop pop is a placeholder the reserve is experiencing Rising costs this bium and we're exploring whether a policy option package is necessary to right siiz the base budget we may also request a higher inflation rate but more likely we will be submitting this pop and that's about 390,000 next uh is the pops this pop supports uh the use of GIS technology That's essential to all Department Services and responsibilities current resources do not adequately support the many programs and services that depends on GIS this ra uh package requests approximately uh $1 million of other funds and it includes four new positions uh next finally in this C in this under these strategic goals uh pop for our modern permitting and information systems project uh the existing Department database that supports management of schools School lands wetlands and Waterway permits and authorizations and Associated Reg revenues are developed was developed in the late 90s and cannot be updated uh this project greatly enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of our services by developing a modern database and new online application and information portal that is easy for oregonians to use this package supports the completion and launch of the system and ongoing maintenance so this project has been going on for 2 by any already and this will be the final phase of that project and that we are requesting um 3. 5 million other funds um moving on to supporting School packages uh now um for we have four supporting School packages these pops are proposed to increase Revenue to the common School fund with an emphasis securing alternative funding for projects that Advance strategic goals first a package for the state abandoned and derel vessel program uh this pop addresses the impact of hazardous vessels on Oregon's publicly owned waterways and the common School fund which historically funded vessel removals a companion legislative concept proposed proposes an ongoing funding mechanism for this program which is Now supported by the state's distinct ADV fund this package funds program operations including vessel removals and makes permanent three limited duration positions and adds a permanent risk evaluation position um this request is 11.
1 million of other funds the department is also proposing three Pops that carry forward unspent Federal grant funds to support completion of removal fi program Projects South SLO Wasson Creek Watershed restoration PL and capital Improvement projects at the South slooh uh we are also proposing five thriving Oregon packages to in ensure DSL managed lands and waterways contribute to healthy and resilient communities with an emphasis on meeting needs via research planning and collaboration uh we have two pops for the Elliott State research Forest which will be established in 20 24 as the N nation's largest research Forest under the oversight of the state land board department and an appointed esrf board of directors uh Pop 101 supports the management and operations of the research forest and includes seven permanent positions this request is a approximately 10. 2 million of general fund uh the other Elliot related package is pop 102 the former site of shudder Creek Correctional Institute in North Ben has been secured as potential headquarters for the research Force Through the federal public benefits conveyance program and this package supports ongoing site maintenance and initial Redevelopment work and continues two limited duration duration positions so this says it's general fund it actually is not general fund um we received a a a grant from HUD and it um it will be coming into the agency as other funds but it is federal funding through HUD so um the next one is the Lower wamama River Management plan plan it guides stewardship of the river in Portland from Kelly Point Park to just above the cellwood bridge the plan was adopted in 1992 and needs to be updated to reflect available science existing and future conditions Community priorities for use and development and to integrate a climate resilience consideration and goals uh we are requesting 500,000 of other funds for this program option package and finally two packages for the Portland Harbor Harbor super fund fight site Wow fight isn't that that might be a little frean slip there super fun site package 303 supports direct cleanup work for the Portland Harbor superf fund site by continuing administrative expenditures including professional and legal services and this is request is about $1. 1 million of other funds uh package 404 provides the legal and environmental expertise necessary to defend the state's interest in the Portland Harbor Superfund Site and this package includes Department of Justice cost environmental Consulting costs and making permanent one limited duration National resource specialist positions this request is about 5.
