By DANA TIMS/YachatsNews.com
Camping at the coast is back.
Sort of.
State and federal campgrounds, along with much of the rest of the coastal economy, have been shut down for the past three months due to coronavirus concerns.
Now, on a rolling basis governed both by budgetary realities and lingering worries about the global pandemic, campgrounds and recreation areas are once again starting to reopen.
And just in time, it seems, to help area shops and stores recoup at least a slice of business lost since state-ordered closures in mid-March.
“We know visitors are excited to get back to recreating on public lands, and we want them to do so safely,” acting Siuslaw National Forest supervisor Donna Mickley said in a statement. “We can all do our part to ensure we’re keeping everyone, including local communities, safe by being prepared to recreate responsibly.”
A few areas, in fact, have already reopened.
Last week, for instance, day-use sites managed by the Siuslaw National Forest, including Drift Creek Falls trailhead east of Lincoln City, along with recreation sites along the Horsfall and Siltcoos corridors, opened.
Starting Thursday, other forest-managed areas are scheduled to open in Lincoln County, as well including Tillicum Beach campground north of Yachats. But group campgrounds at Cape Perpetua, Canal Creek, and Riveredge will not.
The Cape Perpetua Visitor Center south of Yachats is closed indefinitely, but its parking area and trailheads will reopen Thursday. Devil’s Churn, a popular nearby visitor attraction, will also reopen for public use Thursday. Trails on the west side of U.S. Highway 101 on Cape Perpetua, including those to Thor’s Well, are open along with pullouts for parking.
“We will continue to monitor and evaluate safety conditions at our recreation sites and dispersed areas and will modify our plans as needed,” forest officials said in a news release. They urged visitors to follow local and state guidelines for social distancing, and to expect limited or no bathroom or trash collection services at many facilities.
State campgrounds, staff hit by budget issues
Campgrounds managed by the state of Oregon, however, are on a different trajectory, due largely to virus-related revenue shortfalls that have blown a hole in the state’s budget.
When it became clear earlier this spring that revenues were going to fall sharply, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department administrators froze hiring, curtailed discretionary spending and suspended large improvement and repair projects, said Chris Havel, the department’s associate director.
Of the 415 seasonal positions allotted for state park field operations in a normal year, only 77 were hired this year, he said.
Since the department doesn’t receive any general tax dollars, it relies instead on Lottery funds and campground receipts to finance its activities. With Lottery fund allocations down 30 percent and most of the coast’s campgrounds and other tourist facilities shut down for nearly three months, the resulting shortfall has forced parks managers to shift staff to keep at least some campgrounds ready to open.
A few already have.
South Beach State Park and Beverly Beach State Park, both near Newport, reopened for camping June 9. The yurts at both locations are closed at least through July 31, and some services, such as hot showers, remain unavailable.
Carl G. Washburne Memorial State Park, south of Yachats, will remain closed at least until Labor Day, while Beachside State Park between Yachats and Waldport, will be closed until at least July 31, Havel said.
Parks workers at Washburne were moved to help cover workloads at Honeyman and South Beach.
“I’m taking a more wait and see approach to Beachside,” said Dylan Anderson, a parks manager for the central coast. “If I can juggle staff to cover all of our bases at both campgrounds we will open Beachside on Aug. 1, but that is a very big if at the moment.”
The state-managed welcome center at Beaver Creek, near Seal Rock, also remains closed.
Driftwood Beach State Recreation Site, three miles north of Waldport is also closed, but for different reasons, said Anderson. Oregon State University is using the area for a wave-energy project. The permitting process for the project is taking longer than expected, meaning the site could still reopen for public use if more delays are encountered, he said.
“We’d love to get everyone back on the job as soon as we can,” Havel said. “That’s what gets us out of bed in the morning. Unfortunately, we are looking at a very different situation right now than anyone even a few months ago could imagine.”