Yamhill County parks board reviews 'Adopt‑a‑Park' models, weighs volunteer, revenue and safety tradeoffs

Yamhill County’s Parks & Recreation Advisory Board on April 15 reviewed research into Adopt‑a‑Park programs from six Oregon counties and discussed how volunteer efforts could support county parks while preserving staff oversight.

Board member Carla Chambers presented the cross‑county summary, saying programs ranged from informal neighborhood groups to formal agreements. She reported common features: volunteers performed litter pickup and light maintenance; hand tools were permitted but power tools generally were not; some counties required memoranda of understanding or background checks; and many programs leaned on social media for recruitment and coordination. Several counties accept donations or work with nonprofit partners for stewardship support.

Carla told the board that Marion County accepts donations through Oregon Parks Forever (a 501(c)(3)) and that Lane County recently approved a five‑year, $31.5 million levy to support parks. She said four of the six counties reviewed have county transient lodging taxes (TLT) ranging from about 3% to 8% and that most counties used that revenue for park rehabilitation, though she noted her review did not specify what share of those funds went directly to parks operations.

Parks Manager Travis Pease and Public Works Director Mark Lago emphasized that volunteer projects are most effective when county staff retain responsibility for routine maintenance and oversight. Mark asked for volunteers to join the county’s Habitat Conservation Plan effort, described in the meeting as a roughly three‑year commitment; Lesley Anderson and Celine Hall volunteered to participate.

Commissioner Kit Johnston suggested hosting an RV‑style camp host at some parks to provide ongoing oversight and stewardship; the board discussed limiting parking fees and revenue pilots to parks with attractions, such as Rogers Landing, rather than implementing countywide charges. Members also discussed providing volunteer vests, coordinated schedules, and recruiting through schools and community organizations—Travis noted the local Lions Club and Duniway Middle School will help rebuild horseshoe pits at Ed Grenfell Park this spring.

Board members raised practical staffing concerns. Christy Cooke said volunteer management can be time‑consuming and recommended the board explore revenue‑generating pilots to establish a more reliable baseline budget before expanding volunteer responsibilities. Mike Firestone urged more consistent social media outreach to support volunteer recruitment; Lesley Anderson requested photos of liaison park sites along with short descriptions to aid outreach.

The board directed staff and subcommittees to continue vetting program design details—including scope of volunteer duties, liability and background‑check policies, and whether to formalize agreements—and to report back. No formal policy adoption or fee was approved at the meeting.

Next step: subcommittees will refine recommendations and discuss pilot options at upcoming meetings. The board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for May 20, 2026.