Oregon Could Lose Its State Office of Outdoor Recreation
Photo credit: Derek Sears
Update 11/11:
We are pleased to share that in the wake of outreach from the outdoor community and the ongoing work of Priscilla Macy, Outdoor Alliance’s Coordinator of the Oregon Outdoors Coalition, we have secured an agreement from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department to include long-term funding for the Office of Outdoor Recreation in its budget plans.
In June, the Oregon Office of Outdoor Recreation (OREC) had their funding cut entirely. After a strong show of support from an array of stakeholders, both in the state and across the nation, a short-term solution, that included generous financial contributions from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Oregon State Marine Board, to fund the office until December 2020 was reached.
In July, we worked to convene the Oregon State Marine Board (OSMB), The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), The Department of State Lands (DSL), Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD), Business Oregon, Travel Oregon, and the Oregon Office of Outdoor Recreation (OREC) to brainstorm solutions to fund the office.
In Oregon, the Office of Outdoor Recreation is a department within OPRD, and is part of the department’s budget. The agreements that have been drafted by the group, in a consensus and collaboratively driven process, are to be presented to the Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department Commission meeting on November 17th and 18th for approval. You can view the details about the draft agreement for the November 17th Commission meeting here. The group has achieved another promising outcome to sustain funding for the long term work of the Office of Outdoor Recreation with a commitment from OPRD to request funding for OREC as a part of the departments’ biennial budget request for 2021-2023.
Oregon could be the first state to lose its office of outdoor recreation, if the governor’s office does not work to find a long-term solution for funding the position.
As states face budget shortfalls, outdoor recreation is at risk of major funding cuts. At a time when outdoor recreation participation is reaching record highs, when we have greater awareness of inequities in access to outdoor recreation, and when investment in our natural resources will be a key part of economic recovery, cutting funding for key outdoor recreation programs is short-sighted.
In Oregon, anticipating a drop in revenue from both state park closures and the loss of lottery proceeds, the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department planned a number of cuts, including the Office of Outdoor Recreation, despite an outpouring of support from organizations and individuals asking that the office be retained. You can see our full policy letter in support of the office here. Over the summer, agencies scrambled to put together short-term funding to keep the office going. But funding for 2021 and beyond remains uncertain.
With the many challenges facing our country, outdoor recreation might not immediately appear to be a priority issue. However, the pandemic and other recent events have also illuminated how important it is that states maintain crucial investments in outdoor recreation, including in offices of outdoor recreation that lead these efforts.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the outdoors have been a profound source of comfort and reprieve for Americans, considered an essential activity even during prolonged shutdowns, and providing mental health and public health benefits to Americans. At the same time, the pandemic has illuminated the degree to which too many Americans, including those in Oregon, lack ready access to outdoor opportunities. Offices of outdoor recreation have enormous potential to address this need for improved recreation opportunities to help reduce inequity, improve quality of life, and spur the economic investment that will benefit communities across the country for many years to come.
The example in Oregon is troubling because outdoor recreation is not only critically important to many Americans especially during this pandemic, but it will be also a key part of long-term economic recovery. The office, directed by Cailin O’Brien Feeney, recently released a set of recommendations on how to improve outdoor recreation and Oregon’s recreation economy. The office considers how to improve sustainable access, equity, greater opportunities for recreation, and collaboration across local, state, and national lands and waters.
In Oregon, there is strong collaboration between the many agencies that work with the Office of Outdoor Recreation, but there is not yet a clear solution for how to work together to ensure the program is funded. We understand there are conversations underway now to pool resources from a variety of state natural resource, tourism and business development agencies to support the work of the office beyond the end of this year. While the ongoing collaboration is promising, the state needs to make a long-term commitment to provide stable funding for this important work. Given its importance for the state, the Office of Outdoor Recreation should never have been on the chopping block.
We’ve made it easy for folks in Oregon to send a message to the Governor and the Natural Resources staff, asking them to make continued funding for the office a priority.