June 4, 2020 3:40 a.m.
The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department will face months, even years, of critical challenges due to the economic fallout from COVID-19.
That’s the word from Chris Havel with the department. He said the agency does not receive state general fund tax dollars to operate any service, including its popular, heavily visited state park system. A decline in its main revenue sources, Lottery funds and park visitors, has left it offering reduced services and facing layoffs to fill an estimated $22 million gap for its July 2019 to June 2021 budget.
Havel said the projected Lottery fund allocation is down 30 percent from pre-coronavirus estimates. The state park system was closed for two months and is just now starting to offer limited services to campers.
Havel said the current cap has necessitated the decision to layoff 47 positions by June 30th. Most of the state park workforce is hired seasonally, and of the 415 positions allocated to operate parks, only 77 had been hired by the time the system closed in March. Some seasonal staff may be hired on a case-by-case basis to flesh out the current skeleton crew, according to Havel.
Some state park camping has started with more beginning on June 9th. Typical services such as trash collection, restrooms and showers are limited, due to their expense and the limited staffing. Fewer staff and funds are available for landscape maintenance and cleanup.
Reservations are now being accepted online at: https://oregonstateparks.reserveamerica.com/ or by phone at 800-452-5876. New reservations will only be accepted one day to two weeks in advance, instead of the prior system. Not all sites at all parks are currently available and many were already reserved before the system closed.
For more information, go to https://stateparks.oregon.gov.