Thank you for your interest in reading The Astorian. Here are a few stories that you might have missed this week:

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A new report spells out exactly how much Oregon’s kelp forests have dwindled over the past decade or so — and the picture is bleak.

According to a status report released by the Oregon Kelp Alliance in November, nearly 900 acres of bull kelp forest has essentially disappeared off the Oregon Coast since 2010. Only around one-third of Oregon’s kelp forests remain — important oases facing ongoing threats and stressors in a changing ocean.

For the past two years, the Oregon Kelp Alliance has been developing a tool kit to aid in the recovery of the kelp forests, piloting various approaches and techniques without a clear sense of what could work for the Oregon Coast.

Now, with their new report forming a foundation and federal funding in hand, they hope to build on that early work and move forward on a plan over the next two years to restore this diminished — and diminishing — ecosystem.

“We have things that we understand well and that we need to start moving on,” said Sara Hamilton, science coordinator for the Oregon Kelp Alliance. “And we have things that still need more research and development … but we’re not going to be able to wait until we have a perfect understanding of this system before we start acting.”

See the story by Katie Frankowicz of our news partner KMUN by clicking here.

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In a visit to Astoria, Gov. Tina Kotek emphasized a commitment to build more housing and reduce homelessness on the North Coast and across Oregon.

For the past several years, Clatsop County has had among the highest per-capita rates of homelessness in the state. Monday’s visit served as an opportunity to see some of the local successes in tackling the issue. The Democrat toured the Columbia Inn and the Owens-Adair Apartments, projects that emerged with the help of efforts at the state level.

The Columbia Inn, a shelter on Marine Drive run by Clatsop Community Action for individuals and families facing homelessness, was acquired by the county last year through the state’s Project Turnkey 2.0. The initiative, which Kotek helped launch when she served as state House speaker, has provided grant funding to turn vacant hotels and motels into shelters.

The Owens-Adair Apartments offer 46 units to low-income seniors and people with disabilities near downtown. Now, the Northwest Oregon Housing Authority is looking to expand that work with the Owens II, a development next door that would roughly double the available units.

Over the past few years, plans for the Owens II have been a source of debate and neighborhood opposition. Hsu-Feng Andy Shaw, the housing authority’s executive director, said the project faced geotechnical concerns that ultimately led them to scrap plans for an underground parking garage. Without the help of Senate Bill 1537, which Kotek backed during the last legislative session with a focus on prioritizing affordable housing, the project likely wouldn’t have gotten a grading and erosion control permit.

Despite the efforts on the state level, Kotek attributed the progress in Clatsop County to relationship-driven outreach and collaborative partnerships between local governments, law enforcement and social services agencies. She noted the transformation she’s seen since signing an emergency order on homelessness on her first day in office, when the county had zero year-round shelter beds.

Clatsop County was not initially part of the governor’s emergency declaration, but was added later.

“That is an incredible start,” Kotek said. “That is an incredible amount of work to be done in the last 24 months — less than 24 months — and that’s because of the hard work here in the community.”

Read the story by Olivia Palmer by clicking here.

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When the Astoria Armory reopened after the pandemic, volunteers and staff faced a daunting feat: How to reinstate the community center as a destination for people looking to gather.

“After COVID, we had to start over,” said Susan Hobson, president-elect of the Armory’s board. “We’re really proud of where we’ve come from.”

The Armory, built in the 1940s by local contractor John Helstrom, has housed USO celebrations, political rallies, sporting events, concerts and skate nights. In recent years, though, the focus has been on restoration and finding a path forward as a community resource.

“We just really concentrated on revamping skate night, because that was our place to start,” Hobson said. “Now we’re bringing in our community.”

Take a look at the story by Jasmine Lewin by clicking here.

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— Derrick DePledge