Oregon Town Saves Parks With New Fund | Portland News

When Independence, Oregon threatened to shut down parks and public spaces to cut costs, a state lawmaker stepped in with a bold solution: the Burns-Horton Protection Fund. This new initiative would provide one-time loans to small towns under 20,000 residents, helping them preserve libraries, museums, and parks while they restructure budgets. Modeled after existing Oregon programs, it’s designed as a temporary lifeline—not a permanent fix. Though still in development for the 2027 session, local action already showed up: a community group donated $30,000 to keep two parks open through 2026. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/df107ec2b60fdc68