Locals who love nature and historic places can mark 2022 as a year-long special occasion. That’s because it’s the centennial for Oregon state parks.
It all began with the creation of the Sarah Helmick State Recreation site near Monmouth in 1922. From that modest beginning, over 250 rock formations, lighthouses, and waterfalls have formed the state parks system.
“Woo hoo!” exclaimed Chris Havel, a spokesman for the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. He said 2022 will see many events celebrating the restorative and calming magic of parks.
“Through wildfires and pandemics and everything else that sort of pummels us from side to side in everyday life, visits continue to be up over the last five, six, seven years, taking into account the weirdness that was 2020, as a brief interruption to that.
“But we’re on a steady climb, upward.”
Among the commemorative events is a year-long initiative to carry out 100 service projects.
Havel told KLCC this is to acknowledge a century’s worth of help from volunteers.
“Because we know people like to give back,” explained Havel. “The parks aren’t just there to serve our needs. Parks become what they are thanks to the generosity and tender loving care of the people who visit them, and the people who take care of them as part of their job. We all pitch in together to make the state park system work.”
Volunteer events will be posted on the OPRD website throughout 2022. Besides volunteerism, legislation like the voter-approved Measure 66 have kept Oregon’s state parks maintained. That measure dedicates part of Oregon lottery revenue to the parks system.
One event already scheduled will be a community picnic at Sarah Helmick State Recreation Site on State Parks Day, June 4th.
Copyright 2021, KLCC.
