Environment Oregon urges Polk County support for voluntary vehicle-fee to shore up state parks

Justin Boyles, a conservation advocate with Environment Oregon, asked the Polk County Board of Commissioners on June 3 to consider building local support for an Oregon Parks for All program that would allow Oregonians to opt in to a small vehicle-registration fee to fund Oregon State Parks.

Boyles told the board that Oregon State Parks face a $215,000,000 deferred maintenance backlog that is growing by about $15,000,000 a year, and said the Parks and Recreation Department has proposed a 30%–40% increase in day-use fees. He presented one funding option: an optional biannual $38 fee (about $19 per year) added to vehicle registration for Oregon residents who opt in, which he said could raise roughly $17,000,000 to $54,000,000 annually depending on participation while allowing participating in-state vehicle owners free day-use access. “By providing an option to pay $38 biannually, so $19 a year through vehicle registration, we could…