Oregon State Parks and Recreation Commission meets Sept. 16-17 in Astoria

ASTORIA, Oregon - The Oregon State Parks and Recreation Commission will convene Sept. 16-17 in Astoria, Oregon.

On Sept. 16, commissioners will tour Fort Stevens in the morning and conduct a work session 1 to 3 p.m. about the Reimagine State Parks strategic initiative and a rate review.

On Sept. 17, commissioners will convene an executive session at 8:30 a.m. at the Astoria Elks Lodge #180, 453 11^th St. in Astoria to discuss real estate and legal issues. Executive sessions are closed to the public. A business meeting will begin at 9:45 a.m. and will be open to the public.

Anyone may attend or listen to the business meeting. To watch the business meeting, go to the livestream on the OPRD Director's Office YouTube channel.

The business meeting also includes time for informal public comments related to any items not on the agenda. Registration is required to speak at the meeting if attending online, and is available online at https://bit.ly/registersep2025commission

The deadline for registering to speak at the meeting virtually is 5 p.m., Sept. 12. No advance registration is required to speak in person at the meeting. Time per speaker is limited to three minutes. Please submit written public comments by 5 p.m. Sept. 12 to [email protected]

The full agenda and supporting documents are posted on this webpage and will be posted on the commission web page.

Notable requests:

• Request to adopt recommended grants for 2025 Local Government Grant Program (LGGP):

• Large Grants totaling $15,707,853

• Small Grants totaling $1,101,673

• Planning Grants totaling $450,000

• Request to adopt ATV sound and equipment rules after rulemaking responsibility was transferred from Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD).

• Request to adopt Public Contract and Procurement Rules to outline OPRD's public contracting and procurement requirements. Senate Bill 838 exempts OPRD from the Public Contracting Code except for surplus property and information technology related procurement.

• Request to adopt rules about Special Assessment for Historic Property in response to House Bill 3190, which reauthorizes the program as a 10-year benefit for commercial, income-producing historic properties.

Anyone needing special accommodations to attend the meeting should contact Denise Warburton, commission assistant, at least three days in advance: [email protected] or 503-779-9729.

The Oregon State Parks and Recreation Commission promotes outdoor recreation and heritage by establishing policies, adopting rules and setting the budget for the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. The seven members are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Oregon Senate. They serve four-year terms and meet several times a year at locations across the state.