The Illinois Valley Chamber of Commerce has been awarded $100,000 through Travel Oregon’s Recreation Ready Program - Phase 2 to advance its Gateway to the Stars initiative.
The project highlights the Illinois Valley’s potential as a destination for dark sky and astronomy-based tourism.
Building on the success of the program’s Phase 1 feasibility study, Phase 2 will move the project forward including community dark sky outreach opportunities, dark sky and accessibility consultations, and lighting retrofits.
A portion of the Chamber’s outreach budget will also be used to promote the Phase 2 activities through local and regional media, community events, and visitor engagement campaigns.
Travel Oregon’s Recreation Ready program is aimed at supporting communities in developing outdoor recreation visitor experiences that drive economic prosperity and respect natural environments while increasing access and equity.
