Cottonwood Canyon State Park, which opens in 2013, will be paid for by lottery funds. Photo from Oregon Parks and Recreation.

Coming to you in November, a ballot measure that will protect a major source of money for Oregon state parks, river restoration and wildlife habitat.

Known as the Water, Parks and Wildlife measure, it was certified today for the ballot by the Secretary of State’s office.

The measure is a constitutional amendment that guarantees 15% of lottery revenues will go state parks, programs to improve water quality and restore wildlife areas. These programs are already getting that money. But the funding expires in 2014. This measure makes it permanent.

The lottery funds have made a huge difference, especially for the state parks. A decade ago, the state parks were in so much financial trouble that dozens of them were getting ready to be closed. Not only did the lottery money turn things around, but since then state has been opening new parks every year since 2005. The best known are Stub Stewart near Vernonia, and Cottonwood Canyon in North Central Oregon that opens in 2013.

When a similar measure went on the ballot in 1998, it had overwhelming support from voters. Things might be tougher this time. Some legislators and union leaders don’t like the idea of tying up so much lottery money at a time when the state is hard up for cash.

Still waiting for the measure to be assigned a number.

Related Stories:

200,000 Strong: Park Supporters Turn In Names For Ballot Measure

Coming Soon: What Could Be Oregon’s Biggest State Park

This Fall, Will Oregon Support Water, Parks and Wildlife?

The John Day River through Cottonwood Canyon. Photo from Oregon State Parks.

Oregon Parks and Recreation is getting ready to go public with what it calls, “the most important state park in a generation.”

And if that wasn’t enough, the agency is hoping to add “biggest state park” to that title.

Opening in 2013, Cottonwood Canyon State Park will be located on 8,000 acres along the lower John Day River in north-central Oregon.

It includes some of the most stunning scenery in the state, with rugged cliffs hugging the longest free flowing river in Oregon. It’s also home to one of the state’s largest herds of bighorn sheep.

Park officials hope to double the size of Cottonwood Canyon by purchasing another 8,000 acres of grazing rights on surrounding property. That would open up those lands as additional recreation areas and make this Oregon’s biggest state park.

While 2013 may seem like a ways off, the planning work begins in a couple of weeks. In late April, the Parks and Recreation Department holds a series of public meetings to get input on how to manage this new state park.

“At the public meetings, OPRD staff will introduce the property’s natural, cultural, historic and scenic values; discuss ways to protect its wild setting and natural resources, and open a dialogue on its potential for recreation, interpretive and educational uses. More meetings will be scheduled through spring 2011 leading to the development of a draft master plan for managing the park. A final draft of the plan will then be submitted to the Oregon State Parks and Recreation Commission.”

-Oregon Parks and Recreation Department

Photo from Oregon State Parks

So far, the department has spent about $2.3 million to purchase some 2,400 acres. It plans to buy another 5,600 acres that have been preserved by the Western Rivers Conservancy before the park opens. The money is coming from a special Lottery fund that was set aside for state parks back in 1998. That funding expires in a few years. Parks supporters and other groups want to make it permanent through a ballot measure that voters will be asked to approve in November.

See earlier story: This Fall, Will Oregon Support Water, Parks and Wildlife?

Here’s the schedule for the public meetings – all of them run from 6:00pm to 8:00pm

Monday, April 26
Sherman County Fairgrounds, 4-H Pavilion, Moro

Tuesday, April 27
Memorial Hall, 128 S. Main St., Condon (Next to City Hall)

Thursday, April 29
Tryon Creek State Park Nature Center, 11321 SW Terwilliger Blvd., Portland

For more information:
Oregon State Parks: Cottonwood Canyon Blog

The Yurt campground at Fort Stevens State Park. Courtesy Oregon Parks and Recreation.

With the summer camping season just a few months away, it’s hard to imagine worse timing.

But Oregon State Parks says starting Thursday, you won’t be able to make camping and day-use reservations for two weeks. Not online, not over the phone.

Reservations Northwest, the company that handles park reservations is switching to new technology. The system it’s using now dates back to 1996.

The Parks and Recreation Department says it will take about two weeks to transfer data from the old system to the new one, test everything and train staff.

If you’ve already made reservations, they’ll still be honored.

During these two weeks, you can still camp in state parks,” says Reservations Northwest Operations Manager Marilyn Borgelt. “Most of them are open and have plenty of first-come, first-served sites available. The only things you can’t do are make or change reservations, or check campsite availability in advance.”

And it’s still possible to cancel reservations during the two-week down time. Call Reservations Northwest at 1-800-452-5687..

The system is expected to be back online on April 15.

Silver Falls State Park. Courtesy Oregon Parks and Recreation.

It wasn’t all that long ago that the Oregon State Parks system was on the brink of collapse. After years of budget cuts, park maintenance had fallen so far behind that more than five dozen state parks were in danger of shutting down.

But a group of Oregonians came to the rescue, and in 1998 voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure dedicating 15% of lottery revenues to fund state parks, protect watersheds, and restore habitat for fish and wildlife.

That measure expires in a few years. So with time running out, many of the same supporters are working on a new ballot measure to make the funding permanent.

Currently known as the Water, Parks and Wildlife measure, the work that’s needed to get it on the ballot is just getting underway. The official kick off is expected later this month when supporters start gathering signatures.

What It Means For Parks

One of the groups behind it is the Oregon Recreation and Parks Association. ORPA’s Amanda Rich says that before the 1998 measure was approved, “state parks were in a dreadful state of disrepair.”

There was a maintenance backlog of more than $100 million. The Parks and Recreation Department was so short of money it couldn’t meet payroll and pay for upkeep. Department spokesman Chris Havel says some park buildings were so dilapidated that you could “push your fist through the roof.” 64 parks were put on a closure list.

So far, about two-thirds of the money available for repairs and updates has been spent.

But the 1998 measure didn’t just keep parks open, it provided money to create new ones.

A trail at Stub Stewart State Park. Photo from Oregon Parks and Recreation.

Perhaps the best known example is Stub Stewart State Park in Washington County. This 1600 acre park opened in 2007, the first new full service park in more than three decades.

But there have been others – Thompson’s Mills Heritage Site near Albany, Crissey Field by Brookings and later this year the opening of Beaver Creek Natural Area near Waldport. Oregon has opened a new park every year since 2005.

The next big opening is the Cottonwood Canyon project along the John Day River near Condon. Current plans call for an 8,000 acre park, plus another possible 8,000 acres of additional recreation area. That would make it, by far, the biggest state park in Oregon. It’s expected to open in 2014.

Havel says lottery funding is what makes all this possible. It gives Parks and Recreation a reliable source of money, allowing them to plan projects years in advance. “There’s been an era of support for the state park system that Oregon has never seen before,” he says.

The Parks Department gets about 41% of its funding from the lottery. It receives nothing from the state’s General Fund. Approving a new ballot measure to keep the money coming is a “life or death” matter for state parks, according to Rich. “We’ll be back in the position of having to close state parks if this measure doesn’t pass.”

Rich says the lottery park money also funds local parks and playgrounds. About $3 million in matching grants will be available this year.

What It Means For Water and Wildlife

The money raised by the ballot measure is split with parks getting half – watersheds and wildlife getting the rest.

Stephen Anderson with the Nature Conservancy in Oregon says that’s important for the state’s natural resources.

The money helped preserve 1700 acres of the Table Rocks near Medford. Another area being protected is Zumwalt Prairie in Wallowa County.

Most of this money is administered by the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB). OWEB’s mission is to work on a voluntary basis with landowners and watershed councils to restore stream and salmon habitat. OWEB has helped pay for hundreds of these projects, affecting every county in Oregon. This is what’s called the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds. Federal efforts to restore salmon runs have little impact on private lands. The Oregon Plan was created to fill in that gap.

While most of these projects are small, Anderson says they’re now a critical part of the state’s economy, supporting local businesses and putting people to work. Anderson says, “We want to make sure these jobs will be there in the future.”

Passing the update ballot measure this fall, says Anderson, “Will give Oregonians what they want and what’s important, clean water, well maintained parks, healthy fish and wildlife.”

Keep This In Mind

The new Water, Parks and Wildlife ballot measure isn’t a change. It’s a chance for Oregon voters to say they want to keep 15% of lottery money going to these causes on a permanent basis. And because the money comes from the lottery, voting for it won’t raise taxes. Voting against won’t lower them.

For More Information

Oregonians For Water, Parks and Wildlife

State parks face cuts of up to $8.65 million. Photo from Oregon Parks and Recreation

If Measures 66 and 67 fail in next month’s special election, it could mean major reductions in how much money the state spends on monitoring pollution, protecting and restoring streams, maintaining state parks, and fighting wildfires.

These two measures raise about $733 million for state government by increasing incomes taxes on high earning Oregonians, and raising minimum taxes paid by corporations. Business groups have been fighting hard against the measures. About a month ago, Oregonian’s environmental community stepped into the fight. The Oregon League of Conservation Voters endorsed Measures 66 and 67 and warned that if they’re defeated the state’s natural resources would take a serious hit.

Now we have some actual numbers to examine that claim.

It comes from state agencies. This week, they released new data showing how they might handle budget cuts of 5% and 10%.

A few “let the reader beware” warnings.

I’m using the 10% cut numbers because in the past, agencies that handle natural resources tend to be cut deeper than other parts of state government. If the pain was shared equally, all agencies would be cutting about 5%. My experience tells me that lawmakers are likely to protect spending on education, law enforcement and human services at the expense of wildlife, parks, pollution and water quality.

Remember these are suggested cuts only. If Measures 66 and 67 are voted down, agencies’ priorities might change when faced with making actual cuts instead of hypothetical ones.

The numbers are spread out over two years. These potential cuts cover spending for 2010 and 2011.

Finally, I’m no budget expert. But I’ve done my best to look at the material online and tried to figure it all out. If I’ve made a mistake, please don’t hesitate to correct me.

-See the Legislative Fiscal Office webpage and follow the Budget Reduction Options link to do your own calculations.

With that in mind, here we go!

Parks and Recreation: Faces cuts of about $8.65 million, much of it coming from putting off maintenance at state parks. The agency warns that park facilities will look shabbier and more rundown. The department is also trying to take a lot of money out of office operations.

Forestry Department: Could lose the equivalent of 47 full-time jobs within the department and see its budget cut by about $7.8 million. Most of the money would come from fighting wildfires, including the initial attack units that have been given lots of credit for putting out wildfires before they get out of control. Dozens more temporary wildfire fighting positions would also be cut.

Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board: Probably the most important agency the public doesn’t know about. Every year OWEB funds hundreds of projects including dam removal, improving fish habitat and restoring streams and rivers. A 10% cut would mean OWEB would have about $6 million less to spend on these projects during 2010 and 2011.

Environmental Quality: DEQ would lose about $3.3 million under this scenario and the equivalent of about 15 full-time jobs. The department says efforts to monitor air and water quality would probably suffer the most. One possible casualty, an air monitoring station in either Salem or Medford.

Fish and Wildlife: This agency would have to trim about 1.9 million, with a lot of the cuts coming from the monitoring of steelhead and salmon, fish screening projects and hatchery maintenance.

Agriculture: Could lose about $979,000 with a lot of the money coming from cuts in programs to control noxious weeds, invasive species and soil and water conservation.

Oregon Parks and Recreation is dropping the price of a 12-month day use pass to $20 during December for the department’s yearly Holiday Sale. Come January 1, prices go up to $30.

You can order them over the telephone by calling 800-551-6949.  They’re also available at Oregon Parks and Recreation offices and several private vendors.

For a full list, go here.

Finally, a reminder that all fees for camping and day-use will rise starting next year. Here’s a look at what to expect.

• Day Use (Parking) Fees: Increasing from $3 to $5 per day.
• Tent Campsites: Increasing $3 per night.
• RV Campsites: Increasing $4 per night.
• Cabin and Yurt rentals: Increasing $4 to $9 per night.

Except for the Day Use fees, the prices listed above show the amount of increase, not how much you’ll pay.

The Willamette Valley Scenic Bikeway. Photo from Oregon Parks and Recreation.

The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department is looking for new routes to add to the state’s Scenic Bikeways program.

It put out word today that it wants ideas from the public. From now until the end of January, anyone can nominate their favorite bike route. But Parks and Rec is specifically looking for routes that, “connect riders with outstanding scenic, historic and natural settings”.

To guide you through the process, the department has released a handbook that’s available on the state’s Scenic Bikeways website.

Our first and only scenic bikeway started as the pilot project in 2005.  The Willamette Valley Scenic Bikeway runs from the Champoeg State Heritage Area to Armitage County Park near Eugene-Springfield.  That’s a distance of just over 130 miles.

On Tuesday, the Mt. Hood National Forest holds a public hearing on a plan that will dramatically cut back where off roading is allowed in the forest. The off roading community has a lot to lose here, but its members are motivated to speak out and they could dominate the discussion. Environmental groups are trying to get “quiet” users of the forest, such as hikers, backpackers and mountain bikers, to show up as well.

A concern enviros have about the plan is that one of the places set aside for off roading will be next to two wilderness areas.  Mt. Hood officials also want to build 40 brand new miles of off road tracks on the north side of the mountain.

(For more information click on the Quiet Forest category for all our stories on this issue.)

Tuesday’s hearing starts at 6pm in Portland at the University Place Hotel & Conference Center, 310 SW Lincoln.

A second hearing takes place in Hood River on Wednesday at the Hood River Inn, 1108 East Marine Way.  This also starts at 6pm.

The yurts at Beverly Beach State Park near Newport. Courtesy Oregon Parks and Recreation

Then on Thursday, Oregon Parks and Recreation begins a series of meetings around the state on a fee increase for state parks.  They want to raise day use fees from $3 to $5, and annual passes from $25 to $30.  Fees for camp sites would go up $4 per day, and fees for yurts and some cabins will rise $10 per night.

Parks and Rec says the increases will raise more than $4 million from January 2010 through June 2011.

Here’s a full schedule of the meetings.  All start at 6pm and should conclude by 8:30pm.

Sept. 17: LaGrande
City Library, 2006 4th St, Colleen F. Johnson Community Room

Sept 18: Bend
Parks and Recreation District Meeting Room, 799 SW Columbia Street

Sept. 21: Champoeg State Heritage Area Visitor Center
8239 Champoeg Road NE, St. Paul

Sept. 22: Newport
Central Lincoln Public Utility, 2129 N Coast Hwy

Oregon Parks and Recreation says all of the 4200 campsites available for reservations are gone.  “We’re booked up everywhere,” says Sheri Miller of Reservations Northwest which manages reservations for the Parks Department.  “”We suggest that people still call until Wednesday to see if any sites are available because of cancellations, but that’s a long-shot.”

The Yurt campground at Fort Stevens State Park. Courtesy Oregon Parks and Recreation.

Miller says you’re probably better off trying for one of the 1350 sites that are open on a first-come, first-served basis.  These sites are available at 24 state parks, including Ainsworth and Viento in the Gorge, Cape Blanco and Humbug Mountain near Port Orford, Jasper Point on the Prineville Reservoir, and Hilgard Junction near La Grande.

For a complete list visit this link from Oregon Parks and Rec. Clicking on it will open a PDF file.  You can also call the Department at 1-800- 551-6949.

Oswald West State Park. Courtesy Oregon Parks and Recreation.

The reason? It’s the trees. The park is located in an old growth forest, and some of the trees near the campground are so old, they’re in danger of falling over and killing campers. The seriousness of the situation was made clear last June when an old spruce, about 11-feet in diameter, fell over and landed across several campsites. Luckily no one was hurt.

Parks and Rec officials followed up with a study of other trees near the campground and realized that dozens more are also in danger of toppling. So they gave the public a choice. We can cut down the trees and keep the campground open, or keep the trees and close the campground.

With about 640 responses submitted, the Parks Department says the almost all of them supported keeping the trees. “A naturally-aging old forest, this is one of the reasons people come to this park,” says John Potter, Assistant Director for Operations. “We want to preserve not just the look and feel of the park, but its biological complexity. Letting the forest age naturally in this case is the best way to do that.”

The result is not a surprise. Oswald West State Park is hugely popular, getting about a million visitors a year. But only 15,000 of them used the 30-site campground.

Meanwhile Parks and Rec says it will look for a new camping site at Oswald West. But until then, the nearest camping is five miles south at Nehalem Bay State Park.