Mission
The mission of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) is to provide and protect outstanding natural, scenic, cultural, historic and recreational sites for the enjoyment and education of present and future generations.
Vision
To take the long view to protect Oregon's special places and provide the greatest experience while creating stable future funding.
Administrative History of Oregon State Parks
So the Future Will Have a Place: The First Century of Oregon State Parks
Organization
The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department includes:
- Oregon State Parks and planning, natural resources, engineering, and volunteering functions that support park development and management.
- Oregon Heritage that operates cultural and historic preservation programs.
- Recreation grant programs that support recreation facilities on public land across the state.
- All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) programs, which include ATV permits administration and operator safety training.
- Scenic Waterway and Scenic Bikeway administration.
- Oregon Office of Outdoor Recreation responsible for connecting the personal, community and economic benefits of outdoor recreation.
OPRD is also responsible for Oregon’s Recreation Trails, the Ocean Shores Recreation Area, and the Willamette River Greenway.
State park user fees, Oregon Lottery dollars, and recreation vehicle license fees are the main fund sources for department activities.
Facts:
- The department was created as a branch of the Highway Department in 1921.
- The 1989 Legislature created a separate Parks and Recreation Department, effective in 1990.
- Visitors to Oregon state parks in 2016 contributed $1.1 billion to the state's economy and supported 16,000 full- and part-time jobs.
- Oregon’s state parks are among the most popular In the United States: their combine day-use and camping attendance of 54,421,472 visitors (2017-2018) consistently ranks the system among the 10 most visited in the nation.