Home > State > Executive > State Parks and Recreation Department
State Parks and Recreation Department > Web site
The North Capitol Mall Office Building in Salem houses the central offices of the State Parks and Recreation Department. (Oregon State Archives Photo)
Present Duties
The mission of the State Parks and Recreation Department is to “provide and protect outstanding, natural, scenic, cultural, historic and recreational sites for the enjoyment and education of present and future generations.” The department operates Oregon’s state parks, recreation programs, community grants and heritage programs through a headquarters staff in Salem and three field regions. The department was initially created as a branch of the Highway Department in 1921. The 1989 Legislature created a separate Parks and Recreation Department effective January 1, 1990.
Oregon’s state parks are among the most popular in the United States. Their combined day-use and camping attendance of 44.2 million visitors (2009) consistently ranks the system among the ten most visited in the nation.
The department protects and manages out-standing resources statewide — the State Historic Preservation Office, Oregon Heritage Commission, Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries, Recreation Trails, the Ocean Shores Recreation Area, Scenic Waterways, the Oregon Exposition Center and State Fair, and the Willamette River Greenway all fall under the agency’s umbrella. Department services are funded primarily by Oregon Lottery dollars, state park user fees and recreation vehicle license fees. Lottery funds were dedicated to parks by Oregon voters in 1998. The constitutional amendment for these funds will be automatically returned to the ballot for another vote in 2014.
Agency Subdivisions
Information about this agency's divisions, offices, programs, etc.
Contact Information
Mailing Address: 725 Summer St. NE, Suite C, Salem 97301
Telephone: 503-986-0707; Campground Reservations: 1-800-452-5687; Parks Information: 1-800-551-6949
Fax: 503-986-0794
General E-mail: tim.wood@state.or.us
Contact: Tim Wood, Director
Administrative Rules Coordinator E-mail: Vanessa DeMoe
Records Officer E-mail: Pamela Berger
Staff Directory from Oregon.gov
Location Map: by Yahoo! Maps
Legal and Legislative Information
Statutory Authority: ORS Chapters 97, 358, 390
Natural Resources Budget Analysis (pdf) - by Legislative Fiscal Office
Audit Reports - select agency from menu
Records, Publications and General Information
Agency History - a detailed history of the agency
Records Retention Schedule - a list of the public records kept at the agency
State Archives Holdings - a select list of the agency's records available for research at the State Archives
State Library Publications - a link to the Oregon State Library Catalog