May 7, 2025 3:30 a.m.

Oregon Main Street has just designated the Sutherlin Chamber of Commerce as the new Sutherlin Area Regional Main Street Hub of the Umpqua.

A release from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department said Sutherlin joins the two initial pilot Rural Regional Main Street hubs of the Frontier Chamber of Commerce and the Wallowa County Chamber of Commerce, initially housed with the Northeast Oregon Economic Development District.

Sutherlin Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jessica Cannon said, “This opportunity is deeply needed, and this program is powerfully designed to uplift rural communities like ours, strengthening main streets through revitalization, development, networking and real-time support”. Cannon said, “We are filled with pride and ready to hit the ground running”.

The Sutherlin Area Regional Main Street Hub of the Umpqua will initially include Sutherlin, Winston and Oakland.

The release said OMS created the RRMS tier to provide a pathway for rural communities to better connect with the services and support offered by OMS in a structured way that helps these rural communities build and sustain momentum. One of the key features of the RRMS tier is to allow maximum flexibility in how the hubs want to organize to take into account the differences in each region.

The OMS Network provides training and technical services to Oregon communities desiring to strengthen, preserve and enhance their historic downtown and traditional commercial neighborhood districts. Learn more about Oregon Main Street at www.oregonmainstreet.org.