Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) celebrates the completion of three GO Bond projects this year: Beverly Beach and Nehalem Bay upgraded vital infrastructure, and Fort Stevens restored the exterior of the historic Guard House.

The work is part of the one-time general obligation bonds (GO Bonds) approved by the legislature in 2021 for Oregon State Parks.

The goal of the $50 million GO Bond projects was to help update aging infrastructure and add capacity at several state parks.

Silver Falls also completed a portion of its GO Bond project last year with the North Canyon trailhead and parking lot, which eased parking congestion and added a new accessible trail.

Fort Stevens will complete its campground utility upgrades as part of GO Bonds in May 2026. Two more projects, safety upgrades at Cape Lookout and visitor center updates at Silver Falls, will break ground in 2026.

The remaining GO Bond projects at Kam Wah Chung, Smith Rock, Champoeg and the campground expansion at Silver Falls will be placed on hold until additional funding is available. OPRD will allocate the approximately $15 million in remaining GO Bonds to higher priority backlog maintenance projects including existing utility systems, infrastructure and facilities.

“When projects were initially identified 2021, we could not have anticipated the substantial increases in costs of materials, staffing and consultants or the significant reduction in revenue,” said Deputy Director for Field and Community Services Matt Rippee.

“None of these were easy decisions, but at this time it is vital we focus on projects that will extend the life of existing facilities rather than expanding. Without this change, we would not be able to complete maintenance needs essential to protect and preserve our state parks.”

OPRD is projecting a $14 million operations budget shortfall this biennium due to a projected decrease in Lottery revenue, increasing costs and a long-standing need for more sustainable funding. Staff are reviewing all OPRD’s costs to help build a more sustainable funding future.

Completed Projects:

Beverly Beach Campground: Upgraded electrical systems, moved power lines underground, paved and campsite improvements, rehabilitated sewer lift station.
Nehalem Bay Campground: Upgraded existing utilities, added restroom and a restroom/shower building, renovated and added additional accessible campsites, repaved and added traffic calming to the park entry road.
Fort Stevens’ Guard House: Replaced roof and repaired roof structure, repaired brick, stonework, windows and doors, improved landscaping to stop leaks, upgraded electrical connections for lighting, heating and climate controls.
Silver Falls: Built North Canyon trailhead and parking lot

Projects in 2026:

Fort Stevens Campground: updates to electrical, water and wastewater infrastructure, replacing a campground restroom and shower building built in 1955, updated paving and replacing the restroom at the Peter Iredale Day-use area.
Cape Lookout: Reinforce existing foredune to hold back seawater from campground, upgrade electrical and water systems, resurfacing day-use parking lot
Silver Falls: Complete the North Gateway Visitor Center and potentially utility system upgrades.

Projects on hold:

Kam Wah Chung: Build new interpretive center with classrooms, restrooms, collection processing, archive storage and office space for staff.
Smith Rock: Build a new welcome center, improve parking and traffic flow, improve the main day-use parking lots, develop more accessible trails and improve visitor flow.
Champoeg: Add additional RV sites, cabins and a restroom/shower building.
Silver Falls: Build North Gateway campground and restroom/shower facilities.

OPRD will continue to review and update services, fees, projects and operations to keep providing high-quality visitor experiences and sustain parks now and in the future.

In addition to pausing these GO Bond projects, OPRD is also streamlining costs and looking for new partnerships and sponsorships to help build a more sustainable funding future.

Source: Oregon State Parks

Tanner, Laura, & Casey

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