Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) is proposing new rules that will require a parking permit for all Oregon State Parks. While there are no immediate plans to change parks requiring a permit, the agency will begin reviewing parks for possible changes in 2025.
Only 25 of Oregon's 259 marvelous state parks require a day use parking permit, 7 of which are coastal and provide access to beaches. But where customary use and free parking has been the norm on the coast, beach users are leaning into the specificity of the proposed rule with both support and concern. On the one hand, Surfrider Foundation has yet to hear much objection from users to pay a little more for parking and support State Parks, just make it easy for regular and consistent users. The value and service of these resources is generally well understood and many regular coastal users already buy an annual pass for the limited sites with day use fees. On the other hand, some customary park users feel the rule lacks some specificity on criteria and process for establishing fees as well as posting, implementation and enforcement in new areas. Oregon Parks and Recreation has published an excellent FAQ addressing many of these concerns, but some still question whether some of what is currently intended for internal policy, like criteria and public process, might be better specified in rule.
Photo: Heceta Head Lighthouse is one of the 7 parks on the Oregon coast where a parking permit is currently required.
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department provides critical resources and opportunities for recreational users and Oregonians of all walks of life to experience the Oregon coast, our beaches and many wild and natural spaces across the state. Current funding for the agency is derived primarily from the Oregon Lottery (about half), campgrounds and the limited park day use parking fees (approx 35%) and vehicle license plate feee (about 15%). For many Oregonians, lottery funding presents some ethical questions about who pays and who doesn't pay for many of our state parks, thus additional revenue sources have been a longstanding interest of recreational users and park enthusiasts. Surfrider Foundation has even introduced several policies over the years to establish additional revenue sources for managing state parks and particularly our public beaches.
Some of the confusion with the new rules is with the simple and sweeping wording itself, which reads: All park properties require a day use parking permit unless otherwise posted. To many customary and local park visitors who have never had to pay for parking this establishes a new presumption. For ex. does that mean OPRD will be installing postings at all parks that do not require a permit? The customary presumption is to post if a permit or fee is required, not the opposite so this seems vague for what to expect. It's likely that both in policy and rulemaking public meetings to come that the agency will be better addressing some of these questions for what to expect.
As the gateway to Oregon's public beaches, it's understandable customary coastal park visitors may have concerns, since the newly proposed rule provides no direction on criteria for establishing or indication of when and where new fees will be required - that much is left to policy outlined in the agency's FAQ, but not specified in rule.
Surfrider Foundation will continue to solicit comments from our members and chapter leadership to inform our formal comments. The public has the opportunity to comment on the proposed rule through November 1, 2024. We highly encourage a read of the FAQ in addition to the rule and filing notice found on OPRD's Parking Permit Rulemaking Page.The public may also participate in a virtual hearing to learn more and provide feedback - set for October 23, register here.